King Robb and Queen Roslin
by Fairuza
Summary: Yoren gets Arya to Winterfell safely and Robb does not send Theon to Pyke or marry Jeyne Westerling. Robb wins the war and marries Roslin Frey, and Arya is still betrothed to Elmar Frey.
1. Chapter 1

**ARYA**

Despite Yoren's gruff manner and the spanking he had given her, Arya had become fond of him. In the midst of her overwhelming relief at being safe home at Winterfell again, she felt a little sad about leaving behind the man who had been almost a father to her when she most needed one. She felt bad about leaving behind Gendry as well. She told him to say hello to Jon for her when she reached the wall. Glad as she was to see Bran and Rickon and Maester Luwin and Ser Rodrik and Old Nan again, she missed Jon more than ever. She felt a little bad for Gendry because while she was going home to her family to be a princess, he would have to spend the rest of his life at the Wall, even though he said that he hadn't broken any laws.

At least Arya had two new friends, Jojen and Meera Reed. She remembered how her father had reminisced about their father, Lord Howland Reed. She was glad to meet two people who had any connection to Father, no matter how distant. Arya also liked Osha, the wildling woman who was sort of their prisoner and sort of a servant. She had never met any wildlings before and was especially excited when Osha told her that she was a spearwife, as were many other women of the "Free Folk," as the wildlings liked to call themselves.

Arya was glad to see Summer again and to play with him, even it wasn't really the same as having Nymeria back. Shaggydog, however, was another matter. He had become quite wild in the time that Arya had been gone, and Maester Luwin and Ser Rodrik kept him locked up most of the time, despite Rickon's anguished pleas. Arya certainly didn't feel safe around him. And Rickon had grown rather wild himself, with long shaggy auburn hair that he refused to let anyone cut, saying he would only let Mother cut it.

For the first time in her life, Arya was glad to take a long bath. After a month on the road, it felt so good to sleep in her featherbed in her warm bedchamber which she had all to herself. And instead of having nothing to eat but salt beef, there were thick bloody steaks, juicy roasts, crisp, sweet autumn apples, fresh bread warm from the oven and slathered with butter and succulent vegetables grown in Winterfell's glass gardens.

Arya sometimes had dreams where she was Nymeria, prowling around what must be somewhere in the Riverlands. These dreams frightened her, yet she wanted to keep having them. Not only did they connect her with her lost direwolf, they gave her a sense of power that she had never had before. Instead of being a skinny little girl, she was a mighty direwolf that struck fear into the hearts of beasts and men alike.

Bran of course was crippled, and Rickon was still too young to start training with wooden swords. So Arya asked Ser Rodrik if he would train her to use a sword the way he had trained Robb and Jon. It wouldn't be as good as studying with a Braavosi water-dancer, but at least she would learn conventional swordsmanship and she could practice what Syrio had taught her on her own. As she had expected, Ser Rodrik was taken aback. "My lady," he said in his astonishment, "in all my years I have never trained a girl. Your lady mother—"

"Father allowed me to take sword lessons in King's Landing," Arya interjected. "From a Braavosi water-dancer. I learned a lot." Then she added, "The dancing master died saving my life. I'm sure that both he and Father would have wanted me to continue learning." Worried that her dead father's authority might be insufficient, she said, "I'm sure Robb would let me, and he's the king now." She thought of one final reason: "with a war on, I need to learn how to defend myself."

At that, Ser Rodrik laughed in spite of himself. "You're nothing if not determined, Arya Stark. I suppose you have a point about defending yourself. Anyway, it seems to me there's no harm in you at least learning to use a sword."

Arya had never prayed much before, but now with so much at stake, she thought that she should start. She'd always liked Father's old gods better, but just to be on the safe side, she thought that she should pray to Mother's Seven as well. It couldn't hurt. She prayed for Robb to win the war, of course, and for him to come home safely. She also prayed for her mother, and even for Sansa. Arya often wondered what had become of Sansa. Maester Luwin assured her that King Joffrey and Queen Cersei wouldn't harm her as long as Robb held Jaime Lannister captive, but Arya still worried. For one thing, Yoren had told her that the Queen had been planning to send Father to the Wall, but then Joffrey had killed him anyway. And while they might keep Sansa alive as long as Robb had Ser Jaime, that didn't mean that they wouldn't hurt her. And she prayed for Gendry, for Yoren, and especially for Jon.

Arya also prayed in both the godswood and the sept for the deaths of Queen Cersei, King Joffrey, Lord Tywin Lannister, the Hound, the Mountain, Ser Ilyn Payne and Ser Meryn Trant. She wasn't sure if you were allowed to pray for the gods to kill someone, but she did anyway.

One day Ser Rodrik told her to come to the solar. There she found him with Maester Luwin looking very serious. Arya's heart raced. "My lady," Ser Rodrik said, "I think you'd better sit down." Arya was now terrified. Had Robb been killed in battle, or taken captive? Had the Lannisters done something to Sansa? What about Mother? Ser Rodrik continued, "I received a raven from your lady mother. You're to be betrothed to Elmar Frey." Arya was practically numb with shock.

"Betrothed—to _who_?—_why_?" Ser Rodrik sighed.

"Elmar Frey is a boy your age, the twenty-second son of Lord Walder Frey of the Twins, one of the most powerful riverlords. In exchange for his support, your brother agreed to marry one of his daughters and for you to marry his youngest son."

Arya had heard about old Lord Frey. He was 90 years old and had been married 8 times, producing countless children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, bastards and grandbastards. He was certainly not the kind of man she wanted for a father-in-law. And what must his _son_ be like?"

"Why did Robb agree to that?" she asked, outraged. "Lord Frey is one of his bannermen—he has to do what his liege lord says."

Ser Rodrik sighed. "A man of honor obeys his liege lord," he said, "but old Lord Frey never does something for nothing and without his help, we can't win this war. Your won't have to marry Elmar Frey until you are older—"

"I don't want to marry him ever!" Arya cried. "I don't want to marry anyone!" Grasping for a straw, she said "When Sansa comes back this Frey boy can marry her instead. I'm sure he'd much rather marry Sansa than me, anyone would."

"We cannot be sure that Sansa will return," Maester Luwin said gently, "though of course we all pray that she will. And even if she does, Lord Walder is a notoriously prickly and stubborn man. I am not at all sure that he will accept a different Stark sister than the one he was promised. And Sansa may not want to marry Lord Frey's son anymore than you do.

"I don't care what Sansa wants," Arya yelled, her eyes filling with tears. "Father would never have done this to me. Why does old Lord Frey even want me to marry his son, anyway? His daughter will be Robb's queen."

Maester Luwin sighed now. "Lord Frey wants all of his progeny to marry as well as possible. For his youngest son to marry the sister of his king is better than anything else he could hope for the boy."

"So he just wants to marry because I'm Robb's sister," Arya sobbed. "He doesn't care about me at all."

"When his grace the king and your lady mother return to Winterfell, Elmar Frey will be with them. You will be under his grace's protection—"

"I'll have to bed him and have his babies whether I want to or not!" Arya was becoming hysterical. Ser Rodrik tried to hug her but she shoved him away, screaming, "I hate all of you, you and Robb and Mother and old Lord Frey and his stupid son!"


	2. Chapter 2

**SANSA**

She was safe at Riverrun now. The Hound had kept his word. When Stannis Baratheon had attacked King's Landing, the Hound had come to her and told her that the wildfire would burn the entire city to the ground, and that he was taking her to Robb and Mother at Riverrun to collect the ransom. He managed to take Ice with him as well, saying it would be worth even more ransom, and in all of the chaos, the two of them escaped.

Mother had wept with joy when she saw Sansa, and hugged Sansa so tightly for so long that she was afraid that she would suffocate. Robb had hugged and kissed her as well. Robb finally agreed to pay the Hound a hefty amount of gold for both Sansa and Ice. Sansa did not want to think about which had been worth more. She told them that when she had left King's Landing with the Hound, Stannis Baratheon was attacking the city by sea and Tyrion Lannister was counter-attacking with wildfire. The Hound had said in his shrugging way that probably the whole city and everyone in it were nothing but a heap of ashes by now. When Sansa asked where he was going, he said that he was leaving Westeros for good. Sansa thanked him. He shrugged again and said that he'd only done it for the gold and to save his own skin from the fire. Then he left.

They told her that Arya was safely home at Winterfell, with Bran and Rickon. This filled Sansa with guilt and jealousy at the same time. Stupid, annoying, horse-faced Arya Underfoot had been right all along about Joffrey and the queen, but Sansa had been blind, and had paid a terrible price for it, not just being tormented by Joffrey, but getting Father killed as well.

What they told her next came as a shock. Robb was to marry one of old Lord Walder Frey's daughters, and Arya was to marry his youngest son Elmar. Sansa wondered how Arya would react to that bit of news, and what this Frey boy would be like. What if he was another Joffrey? Sansa tried not to think about that.


	3. Chapter 3

**ARYA**

Arya was hoping that Jojen or Meera could help her figure out how to get out of marrying Elmar Frey.

"But you haven't even met him yet," Bran pointed out. "You might like him."

"I won't like him," Arya insisted, "not enough to bed him and have his babies."

"You won't be married until you are older," Jojen said, "you might feel differently by then."

"And if I don't?" Arya asked hotly, "maybe I could join Jon at the Night's Watch."

"Girls can't join the Night's Watch," Bran said, stating the obvious.

"I passed as a boy before," Arya said. "For over a month, while we were traveling, no one except Yoren knew who I was, or even that I was a girl. Well," she added reluctantly, "everyone except Yoren and Gendry. But I fooled everyone else!"

"That's because you haven't flowered yet," Jojen said. "When you do, it'll be far harder to disguise you as a boy. And you'll be living at one of the castles inside in winter, not outside in summer where you can make water hidden behind a bush."

"Jon will help me," Arya said, stubborn.

"First of all, you don't know that," Jojen said patiently. "Jon is a sworn brother of the Night's Watch. It is his duty to uphold their laws. Even if he were willing to disguise you, he'd be bringing dishonor on himself."

"And," Bran added, "Remember the stories Old Nan told us about Brave Danny Flint? She pretended to be a boy so she could join the Night's Watch, and she ended up being raped and murdered at the Nightfort."

"Many men join the Night's Watch to escape punishment for rape and murder and other crimes," Meera said. "What do you think _they_ would do if they found out that you're a girl?"

Arya's plan had been dashed. But she had other ideas. "Once I'm good enough with a sword, I can run away from Winterfell and become a sellsword or a sworn sword. I'd be able to defend myself and earn my keep at the same time. I hear Dorne has lots of women warriors. Maybe I'll go there."

They all looked skeptical. "You don't know if Robb and your mother will let you continue training," Jojen said, logical as ever. "And you may have to marry Elmar before you're good enough to be a sellsword or sworn sword. And how are you going to get all the way to Dorne on your own?"

Arya was persistent. "What if _he_ doesn't want to marry _me_?"

"Of course he'll want to marry you," Jojen said, "you're the sister of his king."

"What if I make him hate me?" she asked

"Then he'll just treat you badly after you've married him," Meera said.

Arya thought about something she'd heard whispered about. "What if I lose my maidenhead to someone else before he can marry me?"

Everyone looked aghast and Bran said, "_Arya_!"

"Then you and your whole family would be shamed, including your brother the king," Jojen said. "And when a king is shamed, his whole rule is undermined. And Elmar might decide to marry you anyway."

At that final straw, Arya stomped her foot and screamed.


	4. Chapter 4

**DAVOS**

Stannis had refused to allow Melisandre to join him in his attack on King's Landing. If word got out that he owed his victory to a woman, he would never command the respect he needed to rule the Seven Kingdoms. Melisandre was going to be of use in another theater of the war and take out Stannis's most dangerous foe. She was going to the Riverlands to birth a shadow assassin to kill Tywin Lannister.

When Stannis summoned Davos to accompany Melisandre to her destination, he looked even worse than before, decades older than his real age. Davos tried not to think about the cause of this, or of Melisandre's methods in general. Once the cruel and treacherous Lord Tywin was dead, the entire Lannister side would fold. Stannis would win the war. Davos was sure of it.


	5. Chapter 5

**CATELYN**

The news that had just arrived at Riverrun could scarcely be believed. A few ragged survivors brought tales that King's Landing had burned entirely to the ground during the battle between Stannis and the Lannisters. The main cause was wildfire. Cersei, Joffrey, Tommen, Myrcella, Stannis, the Imp were all dead.

Catelyn felt massive waves of both guilt and relief. Not only were all the claimants to the Iron Throne dead, the Iron Throne itself and the entire foul city were no more. Robb's war for independence was over. But at what cost! Poor little Tommen and Myrcella, victims of their mother and brother's depraved plotting, nothing but ashes. And by some estimates there had been as many as half a million souls packed into that cesspit of a city, most of them refugees from the war in the countryside seeking safety.

Had the prayers of the North and the Riverlands brought this about? Had the lives of two innocent children, products of incest and treason through no fault of their own, been the price for the North's independence, that and another half-million desperate people? At least Cersei had perished with her children and would not have to live to mourn their loss, nor they hers. Was that all the mercy the gods were capable of showing?

Perhaps it was the incest of the Lannister twins that had brought down the wrath of the gods, as many said of the Targaryens. Did the innocence of children count for nothing if they were conceived in incest and treason? Even worse, had the gods judged all of King's Landing for the crimes of the Lannisters?

"With Renly's death, Mace Tyrell has declared the Reach independent," Uncle Brynden said.

"The Tyrells have the largest army in Westeros," said Robb, "and in Randyll Tarly one of the best commanders. And with Stannis's forces all but destroyed—"

"That still leaves Tywin Lannister," Catelyn said.

"All of his heirs are dead," Edmure said, "and the Iron Throne is no more. What can he do now?"

"The Kingslayer is still alive," Brynden said, "though our captive, and Tywin's brother Kevan and his two surviving sons—"

"Who are also our captives," Edmure said. "It seems that Tywin Lannister no longer has any reason to continue waging war. He can declare himself King of the Rock and be lord of the richest kingdom in Westeros."

"That is what most men would do," Brynden said, "but Tywin is not most men. He is wily and unpredictable, but more than anything else he is determined to avoid any appearance of weakness."

"We should approach him with peace terms," Edmure said, "promise to respect his borders and exchange all prisoners except for the Kingslayer and his two surviving nephews. He knows that his grace Robb is a man of honor and would not harm them without cause."

"Again, most men would agree to that," Brynden said, "but I find it hard to imagine that Lord Tywin would. Leaving all of his surviving heirs in our hands as hostages would probably seem intolerably weak to him."

"Perhaps if we kept only the Kingslayer as a hostage?" Catelyn suggested.

"I doubt that Lord Tywin would agree to let us keep his only surviving child a hostage," Brynden said. "If the Kingslayer does not marry and father true-born sons, then Kevan's sons are next in line. Lord Tywin might agree to let us keep them as hostages. Or he might not."

Catelyn suddenly remembered something from her conversation with the Kingslayer in his cell. "The Kingslayer told me that his sister was the only woman he ever bedded, or even desired. I think he was speaking the truth. Lord Tywin might have a hard time getting him to marry." _Just like Uncle Brynden refused to marry anyone_._ But Father was not Tywin Lannister._

"If the Kingslayer wants to keep his right to inherit Casterly Rock—" Edmure began.

"The Kingslayer gave up his right to Casterly Rock to join the Kingsguard of a madman," Robb interrupted. "Perhaps he does not want it."

"We should talk to the Kingslayer himself," Catelyn decided. "Ask him what his intentions towards Casterly Rock are in exchange for news of his family."

"Once we tell him the truth, he will probably be in no mood to give us useful information," Robb said. "We could demand that he share his information first, but what if he refuses?"

_Even with their claim to the Seven Kingdoms gone, the Lannisters are still capable of plaguing us_, Catelyn thought. _Were all of those deaths for nothing?_


	6. Chapter 6

**ARYA**

Word had reached Winterfell. The Hound had delivered Sansa to Riverrun, and King's Landing was nothing but a heap of ashes. The Iron Throne was no more.

Arya wasn't sure how she felt about all of this. She had prayed every day to the old gods and the new for the deaths of Queen Cersei and "King" Joffrey, and now they were dead. Had the gods killed them because Arya had prayed for them to do so? If so, why had they killed everyone else in King's Landing as well? She had also prayed for the death of the Hound, but he had ended up being the one to rescue Sansa. Would the gods kill him like they killed everyone else on Arya's list?

"Does this mean that Robb's war is over?" she asked.

"No, child," Ser Rodrik said. "Tywin Lannister still lives, as does his son the Kingslayer, and his brother Ser Kevan, and Kevan's two surviving sons. We do not know what his plans are."

"Now that we have Sansa back can Elmar Frey marry her instead of me?"

"Only if Lord Walder agrees to it," Ser Rodrik answered, "and he would probably take offense at the very suggestion."

"Why?" Arya asked. "Sansa's much prettier than me, and a proper lady. Wouldn't he prefer to have his son marry her instead of me?"

"Lord Walder is legendary for his prickliness," Ser Rodrik said. "With the war on, it would be most unwise to do anything to risk his grace's alliance with him. Besides, what if Sansa doesn't want to marry Lord Frey's son either?"

"Oh, she won't mind," Arya said. "She's always dreamed of growing up and getting married."


	7. Chapter 7

**CATELYN**

Tywin Lannister was dead. No one knew how, except Catelyn. She knew in her heart that he must have been killed by a shadow assassin just like the one that had killed Renly Baratheon. Stannis must have been responsible, but Stannis was dead now.

"I'm sending a message to Kevan Lannister offering peace talks," Robb said.

"Everyone knows that Kevan Lannister always followed his brother Lord Tywin," Edmure said. "What if he refuses to make peace?"

"Tywin Lannister is dead," Brynden said, "and his only surviving brother is another man entirely. With the end of the Iron Throne and the Lannister claim over the Seven Kingdoms, he will not continue a war just to avoid the appearance of weakness, as long as we offer peace with honor. No, do not worry about the Westermen. Worry about the ironborn."

Robb was taken aback. "Ever since the Greyjoy Rebellion the ironborn have kept peace. Balon Greyjoy will not attack us as long as Theon is with us."

"Will he not?" Brynden asked. "It may be that only the combined power of the Iron Throne has kept the ironborn at bay all of these years. And while it may be case that Balon Greyjoy would prefer for his son to succeed him rather than one of his brothers, he is already an old man and Theon has been gone from the Iron Islands for nearly a dozen years. The ironborn might not accept him as one of their own, let alone as their king. And Theon has three living uncles, none of them peacable men from what I have heard."

"If Balon Greyjoy attacks us, we will send him his only surviving son's head," Edmure said. Robb looked horrified.

"Uncle, how can you speak like that? Theon and I have grown up together; he is like a brother to me."

"He is right," Catelyn said, knowing that what she said was exactly what her son did not want to hear. "Theon was sent to Winterfell as a hostage in case his father should attack the mainland again."

"All of that may not even matter if one of Theon's uncles usurps the throne," Brynden said.

"But Theon is the rightful heir to the Iron Islands," Robb insisted, "a son's claim comes before an uncle's, everyone knows that."

"The ironborn do not always observe such niceties," Brynden said. "We cannot count on Theon as a guarantee against ironborn attacks in any case. What I suggest is an alliance with the Tyrells and the Lannisters against potential ironborn attacks."

"With the _Lannisters_?" Robb was dumbstruck. "Make an alliance with our mortal enemies to prevent a threat we don't even know actually exists?"

"He speaks sense," Catelyn said. "Tywin Lannister and his children and grandson were our enemies. Kevan Lannister need not be."

"The ironborn have always attacked whenever they have sensed the slightest weakness," Brynden said. "Send a message to Kevan Lannister offering peace talks and a defense pact against the ironborn, and send a message to Mace Tyrell as well. The Reach has the largest navy in Westeros as well as the largest army."

"You know he's right, Robb," Catelyn said. Robb gritted his teeth and prepared the two messages.


	8. Chapter 8

**KEVAN**

Robb Stark was coming to Casterly Rock to make peace and negotiate a defense pact with the Rock and Highgarden. His mother, Lord Edmure Tully and Ser Brynden Tully would accompany him. Mace Tyrell would be there as well.

Kevan had gone overnight from being another knight in his brother's household to being King of the Rock. He had never thought that he would end up being the last surviving son of Tytos Lannister. Not only were all of his brothers dead, but all of their descendants as well, save for Gerion's natural daughter Joy. Aside from his twins and his two-year-old daughter Janei, the only remaining descendants of Tytos Lannister were Genna and her brood. Jaime, last survivor of Tywin's line, had been killed trying to escape Robb Stark for the second time. Kevan had heard that his nephew had managed to kill three of Stark's men. He wondered if Jaime had meant to die, knowing that his twin sister, brother and father were all dead. _Especially Cersei_. Stark had agreed to bring Jaime's remains to the Rock to be buried with the rest of the Lannisters.

Kevan remembered how his house had pressured King Robert to take Lancel and Tyrek as squires. If the boys had not gone to King's Landing they would probably still be alive. _Is this the gods' punishment for pride_?

With Lancel dead, Willem was the heir to the Rock. He and his twin Martyn had been Stark's captives for nearly two years. Stark had agreed to bring both boys to Casterly Rock but had made no promises about letting them stay there.

How had it come to this? When Robert Baratheon had won the Iron Throne, Tywin and Jon Arryn had arranged his marriage to Cersei. Tywin's grandson was to be the next lord of the Seven Kingdoms. _That cuts right to the heart of the matter_, Kevan thought. _Joffrey, my brother's downfall was Joffrey_. Cersei had planned to send Eddard Stark to the Wall but then Joffrey had gone and cut off his head instead. The resulting war had lead to the extermination of both himself and the rest of Tywin's line. _Whatever possessed the boy to do that_?

Stannis Baratheon had alleged that Joffrey and his brother and sister were not Robert's sons at all but products of Cersei's treasonous incest with Jaime. Kevan often found himself wondering whether or not the accusation was true. Stannis was known for being a notoriously stubborn and obstinate man, but he was known for being as a man of honor as well. Kevan found it hard to believe that he would make such a grievous accusation without wholeheartedly believing it to be true.

It was obvious to anyone that Robert and Cersei had no love for each other, while at Casterly Rock Kevan had observed how inseparable she and Jaime were. Could Joffrey have been mad the way Aerys and so many other of Targaryens had been mad, due to incest? He certainly had not looked anything like Robert, nor did Tommen or Myrcella. Kevan had never found the nerve to broach the subject of Joffrey's parentage with Tywin. Kevan now wondered whether Tywin had believed his grandson to be the rightful king or not.

_Tywin_. His death was still an unsolved mystery. He had been found dead in his tent, in full armor, his gorget, made of the finest steel, failing to prevent his throat from being slit. Kevan had heard rumors that Renly Baratheon had been found dead the same way. There were also rumors that Stannis Baratheon had kept company with some sort of Eastern witch. Kevan had always believed that magic, if it ever existed, was long gone from this world. Now he was starting to wonder whether he was sure about this or not.

If Stannis Baratheon and his witch were behind both deaths, they had failed in their purpose; Stannis was dead, the Iron Throne no more, and his widow and deformed young daughter had a decidedly tenuous hold on the Stormlands. Had Stark been behind Tywin's death and Renly's as well? The Northmen were sometimes said to practice dark and ancient magics. But Renly Baratheon had been no real threat to Robb Stark.

Kevan tried to push all that from his mind. They were all dead, and he had to make peace with the Starks.


	9. Chapter 9

**SANSA**

Sansa was almost hysterical. "You're making me marry a Lannister!" she cried. "How could you, after everything!" She had never met either Willem or Martyn Lannister, but she remembered that their older brother Lancel had been the queen's creature through and through.

"We needed to make a defense pact with the Lannisters and the Tyrells," Robb said calmly, "to guard against the ironborn."

"If the ironborn attack us you can cut Theon Greyjoy's head off! That's why he was sent to us in the first place!"

"Theon has three living uncles," Robb said, "If we executed him, we'd just be doing them a favor."

"I don't believe you!" she sobbed. "You just won't do it because he's your friend! You love him more than me, your own sister!"

"That's not true," Mother said.

"I arranged my own marriage so I could win this war and Arya's as well," Robb said.

"Well you _won_ the war; you _beat _the Lannisters, why are you selling me to them as if I were a sow?"

"My father arranged for me to marry your Uncle Brandon," Mother said, "and when the Mad King killed him, I married your father the same day I first set eyes on him."

"You didn't have to marry a Lannister!" she wept. "He'll be a monster, like Joffrey or Queen Cersei or Lord Tywin!"

"Willem Lannister and his twin brother have been my captives for nearly two years," Robb said, "they are not like Joffrey."

"Joffrey fooled me for a long time, playing the perfect gentleman when he wanted to! These boys are your _captives_, for gods' sake, they're doing the same thing so that you'll not only set them free but give me to one of them!"

"I'm not setting them free," Robb said. "They're both coming with us back to Winterfell."

"And when King Kevan dies and Willem inherits the Rock, he'll take me back there with him and he can do with me what he likes! How could you be so stupid to fall for more Lannister lies?"

"Sansa, that's enough," Mother said sharply. "Robb is your king as well as your older brother. You may not speak to him so."

"Or you'll do what," Sansa was truly hysterical now, "cut my head off and mount it on a spike like Joffrey did to Father? I'd actually prefer that to having to marry a Lannister and go live at the Rock!"

"Sansa, your brother would never have agreed to the marriage if he had thought for a second that Willem Lannister might harm you in any way. Robb will always protect you."

"That's a lie!" Sansa screamed. "You don't care about me at all, all that time I was Joffrey's prisoner you could have exchanged me for the Kingslayer but you wouldn't, I'd have burned with everyone else in King's Landing if the Hound hadn't rescued me, and even then you paid more for your stupid Valyrian sword than you did for me!"

"The Kingslayer was one of the deadliest men in Westeros," Robb said. "If we had exchanged him for you, we might have lost the war. Both Lannister boys have returned with me from Casterly Rock; when you have calmed down I shall introduce them to you."

"Father would never have done this to me," Sansa sobbed, "unlike you he tried to save me from Joffrey."

Mother looked at a loss for words, and then said, "The seamstresses will make you a beautiful new gown for Robb's wedding." This did not make Sansa feel better at all.


	10. Chapter 10

**THEON**

Theon had often nursed the hope that he might marry Sansa someday. Now that hope was dashed, and Sansa was marrying a Lannister. Theon had thought that the Starks and the Lannisters were enemies, but he realized now that to all of mainland Westeros his people, the ironborn, were the true enemies. He told himself that his father would never attack while the Starks held him hostage, but his father was an old man, and if he died while Theon was at Winterfell, one of his uncles might seize the Seastone Chair and attack the mainland. _Then what would Robb do? Would he still cut off my head? If he did, he'd be doing my uncles a favor._

In the nearly twelve years that Theon and Robb had lived as brothers, neither of them had ever raised the issue of the real reason why Theon had been sent to Winterfell. When Theon had arrived at Winterfell, he'd been terrified that his father would attack the mainland again and Lord Stark would cut Theon's head off. The fear had never completely gone away, for Theon never knew for sure that his father would not violate the agreement he made with Robert Baratheon.

Well, Theon certainly wasn't going to broach his hostage status with Robb now. He had an entirely different topic in mind. "Have you ever lain with a woman?" Theon asked Robb when they were alone together.

Robb looked aghast. "You dare ask such a question of your king?" _You're not my king_, Theon thought. _My father is also a king, and I will be king when he dies_.

"I just thought that you might want some," he searched for the word, "_experience_, before your wedding night, so you know what to do." _That did not come out well at all_.

"Are you actually telling me that I should soil myself with a whore before swearing my marriage vows and bedding my wife?" Robb was even more outraged than before.

"A man doesn't soil himself by bedding a woman—"

"Yes he does, if that woman is not his wife." Theon was angry now.

"So you're saying that I've soiled myself by bedding women?" he asked hotly.

"I'm not commenting on the subject," Robb said coldly.

Theon swallowed his rage. He could not afford to anger Robb any more. "Forget I mentioned it," he said sulkily."

"Would that I could," Robb said, cold as before.

What Theon really wanted to say was that Robb's oh-so-honorable father, Lord Eddard Stark, had fathered at least one bastard, and after he was married no less. But that would be suicide. So he merely stalked off to sulk by himself.


	11. Chapter 11

**ARYA**

Maester Luwin told the whole household the wondrous news. Robb had won the war! He and Mother and Sansa were coming home to Winterfell with Mother's Uncle Brynden, and Robb would rule the North and the Riverlands as king. Tywin Lannister was dead, and his brother Kevan, now King of the Rock, had signed a peace treaty with Robb.

"His grace King Robb has also entered into a defense pact with King Kevan and King Mace." _What_? Lannisters were supposed to be _enemies_.

"Why'd Robb do that?" Arya blurted out.

"To defend against potential ironborn attacks," Maester Luwin answered.

"But that's why we have Theon as a hostage," Arya said.

Maester Luwin sighed. "Theon has three living uncles, and his father, King Balon, is an old man. Moreover, Theon has been gone from the Iron Islands for nearly a dozen years. When King Balon dies one of Theon's uncles could usurp the Seastone Chair and raid the mainland the way the ironborn have been doing since time immemorial."

Maester Luwin continued, "His grace King Robb, Lady Catelyn, Princess Sansa, Lord Edmure and Ser Brynden are headed to the Twins where his grace will marry Roslin Frey. Lord Edmure will then head to Highgarden for his marriage to Princess Margaery, and the rest will all return to Winterfell along with Elmar Frey and Prince Willem and Prince Martyn."

"They're bringing Lannisters _here_?" This kept getting worse.

"Willem and Martyn Lannister are only boys, the same age as Sansa." Maester Luwin said. Arya was not reassured. Joffrey had been a boy the same age as Sansa as well. "They will be wards of his grace," Maester Luwin continued, "and the elder, Prince Willem, heir to the Rock, will marry Princess Sansa when they are both of age."

Arya's jaw dropped. "_What?_" she asked, outraged, "Robb's marrying Sansa to a _Lannister_? After everything they've done?" This was an even greater betrayal than Arya's own betrothal to Elmar Frey. And now Sansa wouldn't be able to marry Elmar in Arya's place.

"Neither Prince Willem nor Prince Martyn committed any wrongs against House Stark," Maester Luwin said. "His grace the king and Lady Catelyn will expect everyone in this household to treat them with courtesy, and to do the same for Princess Arya's betrothed Elmar Frey."

_I won't_, Arya promised, _I won't show any courtesy to any of them, Robb and Mother can't make me_.


	12. Chapter 12

**CATELYN**

Lord Walder had presented eleven Frey maidens to Robb and Catelyn, and in addition to carefully interviewing each one they had done all that they could to find out about their reputations. Fair Walda was the comeliest, but it was common knowledge at the Twins that she had been sleeping with Black Walder, so she was out of the question. Amerei was no beauty but came from robust Crakehall stock and had ample breasts; but her promiscuity was so notorious that she was known as Gatehouse Ami. "That one may be good at bearing sons but I will have no guarantee that they will be mine," Robb had told Catelyn afterwards. Her sister Fat Walda was ruled out because she was too fat, and the other Crakehall descendant Alyx seemed promising at first until she had grabbed Robb's leg during their interview. Such forwardness was both unbecoming and a possible sign of promiscuity. The twins Sarra and Serra were badly pimpled. Arwyn was supposedly Lord Walder's daughter from his marriage to Annara Farring, but it was widely rumored that her real father was Black Walder, so they ruled her out as well. Robb certainly didn't want a bastard for a bride, especially Black Walder's bastard. Marissa's head had been shaved by the maesters, which boded ill for her future health. That left Roslin Frey, Zia Frey and Marianne Vance. They finally settled on Roslin for several reasons: her mother, Bethany Rosby, had born four healthy sons; her full-brother was Robb's loyal squire Olyvar; and most importantly, she seemed, from all that they had observed and heard of her, to be of kind nature and good character like her brother Olyvar.

The wedding was tomorrow, and Robb seemed uneasy. "Father once told me that King Robert's marriage to Cersei Lannister was Jon Arryn's idea," he said. "What if Roslin turns out to be another Cersei Lannister?"

"She seems like a very sweet girl," Catelyn tried to reassure him.

"Aye, but Queen Cersei could put on an act when she wanted to," Robb said.

In truth, Catelyn was not really worried that her son might be marrying another Cersei Lannister, but that the girl would prove too frail to bear him the sons that he needed. The Twins's maester had assured Catelyn that Roslin's mother had born four healthy sons, but the girl was so _tiny_. Still, Catelyn herself had always been slender and she had born five healthy children, three of them boys, gods be thanked. Perhaps she should not worry about Roslin. Catelyn then wondered how Roslin herself felt about marrying Robb. Surely she must be delighted; Catelyn had heard it said that every girl in Westeros dreamed of marrying the handsome young wolf king. But she was probably at least somewhat frightened of losing her maidenhead and bearing Robb's children and of going to live hundreds of leagues north of her home to a place she'd never been before at the onset of winter. And she and Robb had only met twice, when Robb had interviewed her and after he had announced that he was choosing her as his bride. Catelyn had never even set eyes on Ned until their wedding day. She remembered how nervous she had been, and how nervous Ned had been, though he hid it well, and she tried to comfort her son.

"I wouldn't worry, my love," Catelyn said. "Even when Cersei feigned goodness, she did not act like Roslin."

Robb frowned, but seemed to take her point. "What I also worry about," he said, "is that now that I've won the war, I will have to rule both the North and the Riverlands as king. Robert Baratheon won a war, two if you count the Greyjoy Rebellion, yet as a peacetime king he was a failure and it destroyed him."

"You are nothing like Robert," Catelyn said, "You are a man of duty like your father. And you have already been a king for two years now."

"I've been a commander for two years now," Robb said. "I only know about fighting, not ruling. Father had me sit on his councils, but I was only a boy then, and now I am not the Warden of the North but the king of the North _and_ the Riverlands. And winter is coming."

That was it, Catelyn thought. It always comes down to winter. "We have provisions—"

"The last summer lasted _ten_ years," Robb cut her off. "What if this winter lasts another ten years, or more? My soldiers have used much of our provisions that had been set aside for winter, and the Lannisters have destroyed crops and fields all over the Riverlands. What if we should face famine?"

"You should import grain and other foods from the Reach before the winter fully sets in," Catelyn advised. "The Reach was barely touched by the war, and has always been rich and fertile. And Edmure will soon be married to Margaery Tyrell." Catelyn thanked the gods that Mace Tyrell had agreed to marry his only daughter to Edmure to seal the defense pact against the ironborn. Princess Margaery claimed to be a maid still despite her marriage to Renly; Catelyn had no idea whether that was true or not, but it was certain that she was not carrying her late husband's child, which was the important thing. Edmure was thrilled to be marrying such a lovely girl, and would head to Highgarden for their wedding once Robb's was over. Catelyn, Robb and Uncle Brynden had declined to accompany them, as they wanted to reach Winterfell as soon as possible, especially now that winter had come. She said to her son,

"Import as much food from the Reach as possible, and be careful to set aside as much as possible. With fishing, hunting, sealing and whaling, that should last us through even a ten year winter."

"I hope you're right," Robb said.


	13. Chapter 13

**SANSA**

Riverrun's seamstresses had made Sansa a splendid new gown for Robb's wedding. It was of periwinkle samite, with roses embroidered with gold thread and ivory seed pearls. It also had a v-neck, for as Mother had said, Sansa had a woman's figure now. She would be the blue rose of Winterfell. _Father's sister Lyanna was the blue rose of Winterfell_, Sansa thought, _and then Rhaegar Targaryen kidnapped and raped her and left her to die_.

Just two years ago, Sansa would have been thrilled about having a beautiful new gown for her newly womanly body, and about being a princess and marrying the future king of the richest kingdom in Westeros. Now all of it seemed like a curse. She sometimes wished that she was as ugly as Brienne of Tarth so that no man would bother her. Brienne's azure satin gown was of a flattering cut and color, but even a gown made by the gods themselves could not make Brienne beautiful, with her homely face and mannish figure.

Sansa wore a golden dragonfly necklace with iridescent blue-and-violet enamel on the wings, and ivory pearl teardrop earrings. Mother wore a v-necked gown of blue velvet with flared sleeves cut to reveal at the wrists and bosom the chemise of ivory Myrish lace. She set off the blue of the gown and the blue of her eyes with a sapphire pendant necklace and sapphire drop earrings. Uncle Edmure wore a tunic of moss-green and gold brocade with a gold and jade chain for a belt. Great-Uncle Brynden wore a camel tunic with autumn leaves embroidered on it.

And then there were the Lannister boys. Willem, her future husband, had golden hair and emerald green eyes. _Just like Joffrey and the Queen_. Martyn, his twin, had the same eyes but curly golden-brown hair and a rounder face._ Why couldn't I marry the one who didn't look like Joffrey?_

Both twins were splendidly attired, as befitted princes of the Rock. Willem, the future king of the Rock, wore an emerald green and gold brocade samite tunic. Martyn wore a parti-colored tunic of purple velvet and cloth-of gold. Both wore links of golden lions' heads as belts. _Twin lions_, Sansa thought, _we know how that worked out last time_.

"You look lovely in that gown, my lady" Willem said. "It brings out the color of your eyes." _Now there's an original compliment_. "And you look lovely as well, Lady Catelyn. Your gown also brings out the color of your eyes, which are blue like your daughter's." As an awkward afterthought he added, "And you as well, Lady Brienne." Brienne looked even more discomfited than usual.

Sansa allowed herself a snort, which she was pleased to see made Willem turn red. Mother and Robb glared at her, but she didn't care. After a year of being Joffrey's prisoner and escaping with the Hound across leagues and leagues of war-torn land, she was completely unafraid of anything Mother or Robb might do to her.

Old Lord Walder was unable to walk his daughter down the aisle, but he sat and smirked at her and the groom. _As well he might. His grandson will be king of the largest kingdom in Westeros, and his _youngest _son will marry a princess_. Roslin's gown had bodice of blue and cloth-of silver brocade with a flared skirt of blue velvet. Her arms and shoulders were bare and the bodice was low-cut enough to reveal the tops of her small breasts. _Putting the goods on display for the buyer_. Her maiden's cloak was of cloth-of-silver with twin blue velvet castles. Robb wore a tunic of ivory samite slashed with cloth-of-silver with a silver filigree belt with a direwolf for a buckle and boots of dark gray leather. His wedding's cloak was white samite embroidered with a silver direwolf. He also wore his crown. Sansa didn't understand why the crown of the North had to be so ugly. Wasn't the whole point of a crown to look magnificent?

As Lord Walder was confined to a litter, his porcine grandson and heir apparent Ser Ryman removed Roslin's maiden cloak. The Robb carefully placed the Stark wedding cloak around Roslin's bare, slim shoulders. Lord Walder then cackled, "And now for the bedding!" Sansa wondered why the gods had let this worthless old goat live to be two-and-ninety while a man as fine as her father had been cut down in the prime of his life and besmirched as a traitor by a vile usurper. The crowd roared, of course, and Robb and Roslin tried to hide their nervousness, the former with far more success.

Robb had asked Sansa earlier if she wanted to participate in the bedding, but she had said no. She did not want to be in the stampede of women and especially men making bawdy jokes, nor did she particularly want to see her older brother and his new wife naked.

As Robb and Roslin were carried off to their bedchamber, Sansa thought about what they must be feeling now and what they would soon go through. As far as she knew her older brother had never lain with a woman, even though he had won a war. _Or maybe he has_, she thought, _a camp follower, or some other woman_. She told herself that Robb, like Father, was a man of unyielding honor, but then she remembered that Father had fathered a bastard, and had even brought him home to be raised alongside his trueborn children. Father had always refused to say anything about Jon Snow's mother, and Sansa wondered who she could have been, and why Father would never discuss her. Perhaps Robb already had a bastard, or two, or more, like King Robert. She felt ashamed for doubting his honor, and then remembered that he had betrothed her to a Lannister. She also knew that Theon Greyjoy frequented whores, and he was Robb's best friend._ There could be all sorts of things about Robb that I know nothing of_, she thought. _But none of it matters. He's a man, and a king no less, and he can have whores and mistresses and father bastards and get away with it, whereas I must yield my maidenhead to a Lannister and bear his children, and if I ever get caught with a lover, I will suffer permanent disgrace_.

Sansa wondered how Roslin felt about consummating her marriage. Defloration was often said to be painful for a maid. Would her brother hurt Roslin without even trying to? Would she hate him because of it? And what would Sansa's own wedding night be like, and her marriage? Once a man and woman were married the husband had a right to bed his wife whenever he wanted, whether she wanted to or not. She found it hard to believe that Robb would ever exercise this "right," but what about Willem Lannister? And what about that weaselly little Frey boy that Arya was supposed to marry? Sansa thought that if Elmar Frey ever tried to force his "rights" on her sister he would lose his manhood. But it was one thing for a wife to geld the twenty-second son of one of her brother's bannermen; another to geld the King of the Rock. Not that Sansa would have the guts to do it anyway. _Arya would, she's the brave one, that's why she escaped while I remained a prisoner_. Would both she and her sister end up being prisoners of their husbands?


	14. Chapter 14

**ARYA**

Arya had prayed long and hard for Robb and Mother and Sansa to return safely, but now that they had she felt deeply ambivalent. For not only had they brought Ice and Great-Uncle Brynden with them, they had brought two Lannisters and that chinless Frey runt that Arya would have to marry. So Arya was less than enthusiastic in greeting and embracing and kissing Robb and Mother, and she could see that Sansa wasn't too warm towards them either. Bran and Rickon were overjoyed, however, once Mother had gotten over her initial shock at seeing Rickon's wild, straggly mane. He allowed her to finally cut it, making him look more like a prince and less like a little Wildling.

At least Robb had said that she could continue studying swordsmanship with Ser Rodrik. Mother had been opposed, but Robb said that Arya had already needed to defend herself before and that she might have to do so again. Arya wondered if Robb meant she might have to defend herself from her new husband. _If only they knew my secret, I already killed one boy with Needle_. Arya knew that she could never tell anyone that.

She was excited that they finally had Ice back. She asked Robb if she could hold it. He laughed and said she was welcome to try. Much to her chagrin she was unable to lift it, so she contented herself with running her fingers down the flat of the blade. Arya had then said that she wanted a Valyrian sword of her own, and Robb had laughed again and said that everyone did. She remembered that Visenya Targaryen, Aegon the Conqueror's older sister-wife, had wielded the Valyrian longsword Dark Sister. The blade was lost, but maybe Arya would find it one day. Then she'd be unstoppable. Arya had never understood why everyone always talked about "Aegon the Conqueror" but not "Visenya the Conqueror" or "Rhaenys the Conqueror." _Aegon could never have conquered Westeros without his sister-wives and their dragons. _In addition to training with Ser Rodrik and doing the water-dancing exercises Syrio had taught her, Arya also rode her gray filly whenever possible, even though it was getting colder and colder outside Winterfell. She had named her filly Wolf. Arya decided that when she was grown-up and a great warrior she would wield a Valyrian longsword like Dark Sister and have a new direwolf which she would name Vhagar after the dragon Visenya rode.

Septa Mordane was dead, and Mother didn't seem to have the heart to make Arya practice embroidery. But having to do needlework was nothing compared to having to marry a weasel. Elmar had been angry when he found out that Arya had been practicing with Ser Rodrik, and even angrier when Robb had said that she could continue. Her future husband had whined, "But she's my wife and I say that she can't." Robb had slapped him hard across the face for that, stunning everyone into silence.

"I am your king," Robb had said coldly, "and you are the twenty-second son of one of my vassals, and under my roof. You will do as I tell you." Elmar had looked distraught but managed to mutter, "Yes, your grace," while rubbing his stinging cheek. Arya had taken considerable satisfaction in that and had almost forgiven Robb for betrothing her to Elmar in the first place.

Sansa seemed even more dismayed by her future husband than Arya was. Willem Lannister and his twin were always trying to outdo each other in courtesy, but that only made Sansa more unfriendly to them. They didn't seem too bad for Lannisters, earnest and eager to please. Certainly they didn't seem like Joffrey or the Queen. Arya would prefer to have to marry one of them than Elmar.

Arya remembered that Great-Uncle Brynden had refused to marry the woman Grandfather Hoster had chosen for him, and had in fact left Riverrun for the Eyrie because of it. She asked him, "If you didn't have to marry a woman your older brother had wanted you to, how come I have to marry Elmar Frey?" He had smiled and said,

"Because my lord brother didn't need to win a war," but his smile looked kind of sad.

"But the war is over, Robb won," Arya persisted.

"Yes, sweetling, but a man must keep his word, and your brother gave Lord Walder his word that you would marry Elmar. If he were to break his word now he would greatly dishonor himself and you as well."

"My father always spoke of honor," Arya said bitterly, "and look how he ended up." Her great-uncle had looked shocked at that, but Arya stomped off before he could say anything.


	15. Chapter 15

**ROBB**

All throughout the war, Robb had always thought as soon as the Lannisters were defeated and the family reunited at Winterfell everything would be fine. Well, it wasn't. Both of his sisters hated their future husbands, and hated him for betrothing them, and Rickon was practically feral.

Father had taught Robb about being a lord, but not about being a father. He was only seventeen and had to be the patriarch to a household full of sullen, squabbling children. Roslin was also expecting their first child, and Robb thought that a new baby might be the straw that broke the camel's back.

He couldn't really blame Arya for not wanting to marry Elmar. The boy was whiny and irritating and ill-mannered. But he was frightened enough of Robb to behave himself most of the time, and perhaps he might improve now that he was at Winterfell instead of his father's lair. Arya had gone out of her way to be as rude to him as possible until he threatened to take away her sword lessons if she did not behave herself. So she treated Elmar now with the same icy politeness that she showed toward Robb, Mother and the twins.

Rickon was even worse. After his initial delight at Mother's return, he'd become unmanageable again. Clearly while Robb and Mother were gone Ser Rodrik and Maester Luwin had failed to discipline him. He constantly demanded that Mother attend to his every whim, and if anything displeased him he threw terrible tantrums, screaming and beating at the floor. After he had kicked Roslin in the shins Robb had spanked him and locked him in his bedchamber without any toys, where he'd screamed for over an hour.

He did not know what to do with Rickon. Locking him in his bedchamber and taking away his toys only made him more restive and uncontrollable. Robb could send him to bed without supper, but hunger would probably only worsen his temper and Robb thought it cruel to send a growing child to bed hungry no matter what he had done. Spanking him seemed to subdue him for a short time but failed to deter him from future misbehavior. Mother and Old Nan didn't know what to do with him either, and Ser Rodrik and Maester Luwin had already failed to provide proper supervision. Robb finally decided that he would ask Great-Uncle Brynden for advice. Perhaps he might have an idea.

"Rickon now has his mother back but he has lost his father for good," Brynden said. He needs to form a relationship with a substitute father. I cannot serve as a father to him for I am still a stranger in his eyes. You must form a relationship with him." _Rickon will grown up having almost no memories of Father_, Robb realized. The thought made him even more depressed.

"How am I supposed to become his new father?" Robb asked.

"I think the key to taming Rickon is his direwolf."

Robb was taken aback. "Shaggydog is even wilder than Rickon!"

"Yes, but he need not be. Take Rickon and Grey Wind to Shaggydog and bring all of them to the godswood by yourself. Allow Rickon to play with Shaggydog, and join in if he asks you to."

"What if Shaggydog attacks me?"

"Every pack has a leader. Grey Wind may have to fight Shaggydog to establish his dominance, but once he has Shaggydog will accept. Rickon will follow and will accept your paternal authority. Remember, you and your mother must not only pay attention to him when he misbehaves, or his behavior will not improve."

Robb was very unsure about all of this but he had exhausted every other option. Great-uncle Brynden's idea was worth a try.


	16. Chapter 16

**CATELYN**

Rickon constantly demanded her attention and threw terrible tantrums at the slightest provocation. Arya seemed determined to become a man, and Robb looked like he would allow her to. And Sansa, her sweet, gentle, well-mannered Sansa, had become rude and sullen. She avoided her mother and, for that matter, everyone else in the household, spending most of her time sulking alone.

Catelyn wondered if she should punish Sansa for her constant rudeness to her mother, to Robb, and to the Lannister boys, but she felt too guilty to do so. After all, she and Robb were responsible for betrothing Sansa to a Lannister after she had spent a year of being held captive and tormented by Joffrey. Catelyn knew that Robb had made the right decision in refusing to exchange Sansa for the Kingslayer, but she felt guilty about it anyway.

Catelyn and Robb had told Sansa that they had betrothed her to Willem Lannister in order to make peace with House Lannister and form a defense pact against the ironborn, but that was only part of the truth. King Kevan had agreed to pay a substantial indemnity only in return for Sansa's betrothal to Prince Willem. Catelyn knew that with winter coming and the resources of Robb's kingdom badly depleted by the war they desperately needed that indemnity. Even so, she could not shake the feeling that she had sold both Sansa as well as Arya.

Even worse, Catelyn often blamed herself for telling Ned that he should accept the office of the Hand and take Sansa and Arya with him to King's Landing. _If Ned had refused like he wanted to, he would still be alive, and Sansa and Arya would never have been in danger_. She found it hard to believe that she had actually feared King Robert's wrath if Ned had refused his appointment. And she had also encouraged Ned to betroth Sansa to Joffrey even though Ned had had doubts about him from the start. _Ned saw through Joffrey right away, and so did Robb, but I did not. _Why had she been so blind? _I wanted my daughter to be Queen, and my grandson to be King. If only I had not been so prideful_. The thought filled Catelyn with shame and guilt.

Then there was Arya. Arya in her future husband was far worse off than Sansa. As far as Catelyn could see, Prince Willem was a good lad, and comely enough, but Elmar Frey was another story. While she could never say so to Arya, Catelyn wished with all of her heart that her daughter did not have to marry that sniveling little weasel. She cursed Walder Frey for insisting on the betrothal when he already had secured Robb's hand for one of his daughters. _Why did it have to be Elmar?_ _Why couldn't it have been Olyvar?_ Robb's former squire, Elmar's half-brother and Roslin's full brother was a fine youth, and he was only eight years older than Arya. If Walder Frey had been anyone else Catelyn would have tried to negotiate, but she knew it would be futile to even broach the issue with him. Lord Walder's heir apparent, Ryman Frey, was stupid and cruel and unlikely to be any more amenable.

The idea of Arya having to yield her maidenhead to Elmar Frey and bear his children was something Catelyn tried to avoid even thinking about. She noticed however, that Arya always beat her future husband at wooden swords and that the boy was a craven and a weakling in every other respect. _An unconsummated marriage can be put aside_. Perhaps Ned and Robb had been right to let her study sword-fighting after all.

Catelyn knew that when a woman married, her husband gained ownership of her body. If he killed her he would hang or be sent to the Wall, but he could still beat and force himself on her whenever he liked. Catelyn thanked the gods that she had married a man like Ned who would never have even thought of taking advantage of this "right," but many women were not so fortunate. _Slavery has been outlawed in Westeros for millennia, yet every woman is a potential slave to her husband_.

Bran, thank the gods for small mercies, was still sweet and gentle and respectful. The behavior of his younger brother meant, however, that Catelyn could not give him anywhere near as much attention as she would like to, or as much as he needed. Roslin needed her as well. She was carrying Robb's child and Catelyn remembered what it was like to be a young bride from the Riverlands in the harsh and unyielding North with a husband she barely knew. _Robb hasn't brought home a bastard, though_. Catelyn still wondered sometimes who Jon Snow's mother could have been and why Ned had refused to even speak of her. She prayed that Robb, and Rickon for that matter, would never father any bastards. _Or if they do, let me hope that they will not shame their wives by bringing them home to be raised alongside their trueborn children_.


	17. Chapter 17

**ROBB**

Robb took Grey Wind and Rickon with him to go unchain Shaggydog. Grey Wind seldom gave Robb any difficulties, but Roslin was still frightened of him, which troubled Robb deeply, as he had come to see his direwolf almost as a part of himself. Robb was accustomed to having Grey Wind sleep at the foot of his bed, which made him feel safer, but Roslin was so terrified at the thought of having a direwolf in their bedchamber while she slept that Robb had been forced to make Grey Wind sleep outside the door, like a member of the Kingsguard. Robb felt like he was betraying his best friend. _She'll get used to him eventually_. The direwolf Robb was truly worried about was not Grey Wind but his litter-mate Shaggydog. He knew he was taking a great risk, but Great-Uncle Brynden had convinced him.

Shaggydog growled menacingly and pulled at his chain. Robb was careful not to show any sign of the fear he felt. He let Grey Wind approach Shaggydog, and while the direwolf brothers snarled at each other he carefully unchained him. Shaggydog immediately lunged at Grey Wind and began to fight him savagely. _At least he didn't attack me_, Robb thought. Everything depended on Grey Wind subduing Shaggydog and establishing his dominance. Rickon began to scream and flail, but Robb ignored him, instead willing with all of his might for Grey Wind to trounce his brother. Both direwolves were bleeding now, and Robb feared that Shaggydog might win. _Then all our hopes will be gone_. But Grey Wind's discipline beat Shaggydog's wildness, and at last he pinned his litter-mate down. Shaggydog struggled and snarled but Grey Wind kept him pinned. Finally, Shaggydog yielded. After he did so Rickon calmed down. _It actually worked_.

"We're going to the godswood," Robb announced to both Rickon and Shaggydog. "You can play together there, and I will play with you if you want, but only if you behave. Understood?" Rickon nodded, as did Shaggydog.

Inside Winterfell it was always warm because of the hot springs that flowed through the walls, but outside was cold and getting colder. Robb and Rickon both wore full cloaks made of red fox furs, but the cold still stung and bit them. It was warmer in the godswood, however, because of the hot springs. _Thank the gods_. Rickon squealed with delight as he chased Shaggydog around while Robb and Grey Wind watched. _He hasn't been this good since Father left for King's Landing_. Seeing Grey Wind watching them longingly, Robb nodded to his direwolf to join in. After a while Rickon asked Robb to come play with him, which he did. It was awkward at first; after commanding armies and ruling a kingdom, Robb found it hard to play with Rickon as if he were still a little boy. It got easier though, and Robb found that he was actually enjoying himself. _So this is how a king puts his mind at ease despite all those pressures_. All four of them were thoroughly exhausted by the time they returned to the castle, and Rickon behaved himself for the rest of the day. _Thank you, Great-Uncle Brynden_. It was strange that a bachelor with no children of his own turned out to be the best at understanding them, but help often came from where one expected it least.


	18. Chapter 18

**BRAN**

Jojen had told Bran that he was a warg, and that Arya and Rickon were as well. Bran hadn't believed him at first, thinking they were all just dreaming, until he found himself entering Summer's mind while he was awake. It had been uncomfortable and frightening at first, but Bran was thrilled that he could have Summer run around to his heart's desire. He continued to develop his warg connection with his direwolf, as it almost compensated for being crippled.

Direwolves couldn't climb, however. Bran told Jojen that he wanted to try skinchanging into other animals, including birds. Jojen shook his head and warned him that it was very dangerous to even try. Birds were especially risky for a skinchanger, for he might become so used to flying that he would forget that he was human. This frightened Bran somewhat, so he decided to put off skinchanging into birds until later.

Bran began to wonder what he would do when he was older and a man. He'd once dreamed of becoming one of Robb's bannermen, or even a knight of the Kingsguard, but now he was a cripple. He knew that he would never be able to wield a sword or further the Stark line. The latter had to do with Bran being unable to ever lie with a woman. Bran had trained with wooden swords before his fall, but he had never lain with a woman. He wondered what it was like, and why grown-ups were so obsessed with it. _Now I'll never know_.

He had come to the conclusion that he was in love with Meera, but since he would never be able to lie with a woman, he couldn't marry her, or anyone else. It seemed that the only two paths still open to him were to become either a septon or a maester. He did not want to become a septon, mainly because he had always preferred Father's old gods and the godswood over Mother's Seven and sept. But he could see himself as a maester. He enjoyed reading and learning and would like to learn how to heal people as well. And Maester Luwin had said that he was very clever. He decided to ask Maester Luwin about becoming a maester before he brought up the subject with Mother and Robb.

"You have it in you to become a maester if you try, Bran," Maester Luwin said, "but when a maester puts on his chain he forsakes all family ties and allegiances. You would no longer be Prince Brandon Stark of Winterfell but Maester Brandon of whatever castle you were assigned to. Instead of serving House Stark, you would serve all the people of the realm, and advise whoever was lord of the castle, whatever your private opinion might be. He might not be a good or honorable man. He could very well be a very bad man. Some maesters have been killed by lords."

Bran persisted despite his growing discouragement. "Some maesters spend their whole lives at the Citadel. I could be one of them. Or I could serve at one of the castles on the Wall." He brightened up. "Jon wrote to us that the maester at Castle Black is really old. Maybe when he dies I'll replace him and Jon and I will be together at Castle Black!"

Maester Luwin sighed. "Bran, not all of the brothers of the Night's Watch are like Jon or your uncle Benjen. Many are sent there because they have committed serious crimes. And with your condition—"

"So I can't go because I'm a cripple?" Bran asked hotly. Why did everyone expect him to spend the rest of his life doing nothing, just because he was a cripple?

"You could still become a maester," Maester Luwin said calmly, "just not at the Wall. So not only would you leave Winterfell and your family for good, but you would not be with Jon either."

Bran thought about that. He didn't want to leave his family, but what would he do with the rest of his life? He desperately wanted to be of service to somebody. If he could not serve Robb and House Stark, maybe he could be a maester for another lord or at the Citadel. Then he remembered something. _I'm a warg. Maester Luwin said that magic was gone from the world, but I'm proof that that isn't true_. Maester Luwin had said that the study of magic was frowned upon, but Maester Luwin had studied it anyway. Bran already knew that he was a greenseer and a warg; perhaps he could gain even more power if he studied magic properly. The thought filled him with excitement, and with hope. _Maybe I'll walk again, or even fly!_


	19. Chapter 19

**SANSA**

Sansa spent part of each day being tutored by Maester Luwin, and another part doing needlework. Before she left Winterfell she had done her needlework in the company of her mother and Jeyne Poole, and while Father was Hand she had enjoyed the company of Jeyne and Princess Myrcella and her companions. _Joffrey put an end to that_. She wondered what had happened to her friend Jeyne, who had been even more naïve and trusting than Sansa. Probably she had burned in King's Landing with everyone else. _What was happening to her the whole time I was Joffrey's prisoner?_ Sansa tried not to think about that.

After Mother and Robb had betrayed her, Sansa had avoided them as much as possible. She did not want the company of anyone else in the castle either. Her future husband often tried to approach her but she always brushed him off. _Avoid him while I still can_. Roslin, Robb's queen, was with child, and Mother spent a lot of time fussing over her. The old Sansa would have been eager to spend time with her new goodsister and would have been excited about the baby, but the new Sansa was merely reminded of the dreadful day when she would be forced to bear Lannisters. She wanted nothing to do with Robb, her betrayer, and that included his queen and future children. _I will be a queen, too, some day, but what is a queen but a brood mare in a crown and a costly gown?_

Sansa felt even worse when she saw her brothers with their direwolves. _I had a direwolf too; whom I loved, then Joffrey and the Queen had her killed out of pure spite_. Even after that she'd continued to adore Joffrey and his mother; for the thousandth time, Sansa wondered miserably how she could have been so blind and stupid.

Everyone at Winterfell was praying for Robb and Roslin's baby to be born a boy. _Sons can fight and rule and continue the line, but daughters are worthless except to be traded and sold like slaves_. Had Father and Mother loved Sansa and Arya less than their brothers? _Father didn't, but Mother clearly does_. The thought only made her heart ache even more as she missed her father and felt guilty about his death. _He tried so hard to save me, but I was too stupid to listen, I fell for Lannister lies and actually believed him to be a traitor, the most honorable man in the Seven Kingdoms._ _Father would never have made me marry against my will_.

Sansa was sitting alone stitching an elaborate piece of needlework when she heard Willem Lannister say, "My lady." Sansa ignored him. Then he sat down right across from her so that they were facing each other directly. He tried again. "My lady, I have been longing to speak to you."

Sansa looked at him insolently. "I haven't been longing to speak to you." Much to her chagrin, he persisted.

"My lady, I will be direct. I know that you do not wish to marry me, and I know that there is bad blood between your house and mine."

Now she was angry. "You're quite right; I don't wish to marry you. As for 'bad blood' do you mean the blood of my lord father that his grace King Joffrey shed out of pure spite?"

He looked discomfited. _As well he should_. "My lady, the truth is that I scarcely knew King Joffrey, or his mother the Queen, or his uncle Ser Jaime. They lived at the Red Keep while I lived at Casterly Rock."

If he thought that this would mollify her, he was wrong. "What about your uncle Lord Tywin? He lived at Casterly Rock as well, did he not?"

Willem swallowed. "My lady, to understand my uncle you must first understand my grandfather, Lord Tytos. They called him 'the Toothless Lion,' and for good reason. He was a gentle and forgiving man, but that only encouraged our bannermen's scorn. He would lend them gold and they would not only fail to pay him back but they would defy his orders. When he finally imprisoned his vassal Lord Tarbeck for disloyalty, Lady Tarbeck took three Lannisters prisoner. My uncle Tywin urged my lord grandfather to send Tarbeck back to his wife in three pieces for each Lannister he took, but instead Lord Tytos released him unharmed. That only encouraged the Tarbecks to open rebellion, along with the Reynes. If Uncle Tywin had not crushed them the way he did it would have been the end of our house."

"And why should I celebrate the survival of House Lannister? Tell me, did your uncle send the Mountain after the rebels? His brother the Hound rescued me from King's Landing, and he told me all about the noble Ser Gregor Clegane. In addition to raping and murdering and looting and burning his way across the Riverlands, he once killed one of his own men for snoring. Do you know how the Hound got his scars? His big brother, at age twelve, shoved his face into the fire because he played with one of Gregor's toys. And of course everyone knows how he dashed the babe Prince Aegon's head against the wall, and then raped and murdered Princess Elia simply because he could, all the while covered with the blood and brains of her child. He is still in the service of House Lannister, is he not?"

Willem gulped. "Y-yes, my lady." This conversation was clearly not going the way he had planned.

Sansa burned with righteous anger now. "Enough about the Mountain. He is, after all, only a landed knight. Let's get back to good King Joffrey. Do you know why he cut my father's head off? Because my father had discovered the truth that Joffrey was an abomination born of treason and incest. And that's not the half of it. Do you know how my brother became crippled?"

"He-he fell, my lady. Climbing a tower—"

"He didn't fall, your cousin the Kingslayer pushed him out of the window of the tower because Bran saw the noble knight of the Kingsguard fucking his beloved twin the queen. Tell me, Prince Willem, are you fucking your twin as well?"

Her face was burning red, and she panted for breath. She had never even said the word "fuck" before. It felt so good. It felt even better to see Willem's mortified face as he groped for words. Finally he mumbled, "I-I am sorry if I displeased you, my lady. Pl-please forgive me."

"Not on my fucking life."


	20. Chapter 20

**ARYA**

Arya had been practicing skinchanging. She decided to wait until she had developed her powers further to warg into Nymeria, who was hundreds of leagues away in unfamiliar territory. She would warg into dogs at Winterfell because Jojen had said that dogs were the easiest and safest animals for skinchanging. She used the dogs' superior senses and reflexes to observe the world around her, to learn different smells, to chase after rabbits, although she hadn't eaten any yet.

She'd pointed out to Mother that Robb had taken Brienne into his service even though she was a woman, and she had fought in his battles. Mother told her that Brienne's mother was dead and her father had given her permission to fight. Arya also pointed out that Brienne's father had told her she didn't have to get married if she didn't want to, and Mother said that Brienne's house hadn't been locked in mortal conflict with a deadly enemy.

Arya tried talking to Brienne herself. Brienne was very shy whenever she wasn't wielding a sword. Arya asked why Brienne had become one of Robb's sworn swords when she was from the Stormlands, not the Riverlands or the North. Brienne had looked very distressed and said that King Renly had chosen her for his Kingsguard and then an evil shadow that looked like Stannis had murdered him in his own tent with Brienne and Mother right there. Arya was astonished. She asked how Stannis could have done that, and Brienne, starting to sob, said that Stannis had some red witch from the East who could do dark magic.

This excited Arya and disturbed her as well. So magic was real! But it could be used for evil. Arya then wondered if magic was by nature evil. And even though Stannis had had a witch on his side, he'd ended up dead and his forces destroyed. Jojen had told her she mustn't tell anyone that she was a skinchanger. But maybe if the Freys knew that she was a skinchanger they would end her betrothal to Elmar. On the other hand, people might kill her if they found out that she was a skinchanger. She decided to pray.

Arya had stopped praying to the Seven. They were Mother's gods and the Freys' and the Lannisters' as well. Mother and Robb had betrayed her, but she knew that Father would never have done so. She prayed to the old gods, for she was a daughter of the North, a Stark, a wolf, a warg.

She'd thought long and hard about what she should ask for. She shouldn't ask not to have to marry anyone, for she might have to become a septa or even die before she was married. She thought about praying for Elmar's death, like she did for Joffrey and the Queen and all their henchmen, but she remembered that all of King's Landing had been destroyed, so she decided not to. She finally decided to pray to become a great warrior and to choose her own fate.

Arya was walking along an empty corridor when Martyn Lannister approached her. "My lady, may I please have a word with you?

"Don't call me 'my lady.'" Martyn smiled and then said,

"Very well; may I have a word with you?"

"Alright." Why would Martyn want to talk to her?

"I know that you don't want to marry Elmar Frey, and I don't blame you."

Arya was annoyed. Was he trying to rub it in her face? "Thank you for your sympathies," she said in the iciest, most grown-up voice she could muster."

"I want to tell you about my Aunt Genna. She's my royal father's sister, his only sister. When she was only seven, my lord grandfather married her to Lord Walder Frey's second son, Ser Emmon. It was one of many unwise decisions my lord grandfather made."

"So?" Why was her bothering her with information about his family?

"Aunt Genna has four sons. No one has ever had the courage to ask whether they are her Uncle Emmon's, but everyone can see that she rules her husband, who reminds me a lot of Elmar. What I mean to say is, you may have to marry Elmar, but he seems like he will grow into the sort of man who is bossed around by his wife." _A weasel cannot mount a lioness; perhaps he cannot mount a she-wolf either._

"Thank you," Arya said. He'd gone out of his way to try to cheer her up. But she didn't want to boss Elmar around, or anyone else. She wanted to be free.


	21. Chapter 21

**CATELYN**

Catelyn was shocked, and Robb and Uncle Brynden as well. The news had reached them that Petyr Baelish had married Lysa, crowned Robert Arryn King of the Mountain and Vale and declared himself Lord Regent. After what she'd seen at the Eyrie, Catelyn knew that no man would marry her sister except for power. She also remembered something even more disturbing.

"When I went to King's Landing with the dagger the assassin had tried to kill Bran with, Petyr told me that he had lost it in a bet to the Imp when he, Petyr, bet on the Kingslayer in a tourney. When I arrested the Imp he told me that he never bet against his brother. Half a year later, I went to see the Kingslayer in his cell to trade news of his family with him for information. He admitted that he was the father of all of his sister's children, and that he had pushed Bran from the tower because Bran had seen the two of them together. But he claimed that neither he nor either of siblings had sent the assassin after Bran. He wouldn't have had the chance to confer with his brother on their stories. Did Petyr lie to me, and if he did, why? And if none of the Lannisters sent the assassin, who did?" She was trembling now. Robb and Uncle Brynden looked deeply disturbed.

Then Catelyn remembered something else, something that she was loathe to share, but she knew that she must let Robb and Uncle Brynden know. "While Father was dying at Riverrun he often spoke to me thinking I was Lysa. He kept saying 'tansy, tansy,' and 'forgive me…the blood." When I asked who Tansy was and if she still lived he said, 'Dead…you'll have others…sweet babes, and trueborn.'" Catelyn paused, and gulped.

"After Lysa and I were wed on the same day our new husbands rode off to fight the Mad King. Both of us missed our moon blood, and Lysa was thrilled at the thought that both of us were carrying sons who would be best friends with each other." Catelyn's heart ached as she remembered how happy her sister and been, and what had happened next. "But not long after that Lysa's moon blood came, and all of the joy went out of her. At the time I assumed that she had only been a little late, but…"

"She _had_ been carrying a child," Uncle Brynden finished grimly. "But it wasn't her husband's. So my lord brother made her drink moon tea." Robb looked horrified. _His aunt soiled herself, and his grandfather forced her to destroy the babe that resulted while it was still in her womb_.

"Father had sent Petyr home not long before that, as soon as he had recovered from the wounds Brandon inflicted on him. Could _he_ have been the father? Lysa was always very fond of him."

"I never thought that he reciprocated those feelings," Uncle Brynden said.

"Perhaps he did," Catelyn said. _Did I know Petyr at all? Did I know my own _sister_ at all_. Then another awful thought came to Catelyn's mind. Neither Sansa nor Arya wre happy about their future husbands. Would either of them or even _both_ of them seek solace in another man's bed? Perhaps even bear another man's child? _That's what Cersei Lannister did, and look what resulted_. Catelyn wanted to believe that both of her daughters were too honorable for that. _But Lysa bedded another man, and was carrying his child, and I never knew it. What else is there about my sister that I don't know?_ _What is there about my _daughters_ that I don't know_? But Catelyn could not worry about safeguarding her daughters' virtue for the future now. She needed to deal with the situation at hand.

"When Petyr was at court in King's Landing, Sansa was there as well," Catelyn said. She told a serving girl to go fetch Sansa.

Sansa looked sullen as ever. "What do you want?" she asked rudely. Catelyn decided to let it pass. This was too important.

"Lord Petyr Baelish, the Master of Coin at King's Landing, has just married Aunt Lysa and declared himself Lord Regent of the Kingdom of the Mountain and Vale. I wanted to know what you'd observed of him during your time in King's Landing."

Sansa's looked taken aback, and then resumed her usual bored, sullen expression. "He never did anything to help me, if that's what you're asking. He told the Queen that he was going to the Eyrie to try to convince Aunt Lysa to join forces with Joffrey. Then he left." She looked around. "Why?"

Before Catelyn could say anything, Robb spoke first. "Uncle, you must go to the Eyrie at once with as many men as I can spare. Make sure that Aunt Lysa and Robert are safe, and seek the lords of the Vale"—Maester Luwin ran in, breathless.

"Your grace, I just received a raven from Lord Commander Mormont at Castle Black. The Others have risen beyond the Wall! He says to come at once with as much force as possible!"


	22. Chapter 22

**SAMWELL**

Sam could not stop remembering how the mutineers had murdered Craster under his own roof and raped his wives, and tried to kill Lord Mormont and their loyal sworn brothers. Sam and Mormont had escaped with Gilly and her baby back to Castle Black. Jon had then arrived with thousands of Wildlings, saying that with the Others now awoken, the Wildling chieftains wanted an alliance with the Night's Watch. Jon had somehow convinced Lord Mormont that because they had had sworn to defend the realm of men, and the Wildlings were men, and because they needed every ally they could get to fight the Others, they should let the Wildlings settle on the Gift and New Gift and man the empty castles along the Wall. In exchange the Wildlings would surrender to the Night's Watch all of their valuables and give 100 sons of powerful men as hostages. These boys would serve the Watch as squires and pages, and could take vows when they were old enough. One of them, Dryn, son of the legendary Tormund Gianstbane, was now Jon's own page.

Sam had slain an Other. It had happened almost by accident. After escaping with Lord Mormont and Gilly they were attacked by an Other. Without thinking about it, Sam had taken the dragonglass blade he'd found at the Fist and stabbed the Other with it. The Other had melted into a puddle. That was how they had learned that dragonglass could kill the Others. So far Sam was the only brother of the Night's Watch who had slain an Other. _If I can slay an Other, then anyone can_. That gave him some hope for the future. _But how many Others _are _there?_ No one knew, and the Night's Watch didn't have many dragonglass blades either. If only they had known to take as much dragonglass as they could from the Fist! Was there another supply of dragonglass somewhere else? If there was, how would they get it? Jon had convinced Lord Mormont to send Sam to the Citadel to learn as much as he could about dragonglass and the Others. Just when Sam was starting to feel like a true brother of the Watch, he must go to a new, unfamiliar place.

Now was certainly a time to pray. Ever since Sam had sworn his oath at the heart tree, he had prayed exclusively to the Old Gods. They were the gods of the North, Jon's gods, and the Seven had never answered his prayers anyway. At least King Robb of the North and the Trident, Jon trueborn half-brother, was coming to Castle Black with men to aid them. King Robb had won a war against the most powerful house in Westeros, but he'd only had to fight men, not monsters.

Before Sam did anymore fighting he would have to journey to Oldtown, learn whatever he could of the Others, and return to the Wall. Throughout his boyhood Sam had dreamed of going to the Citadel and becoming a maester. The Citadel had more books than anywhere in the world and he wouldn't have to fight anyone. He'd finally found the courage to ask his father if he could become a maester, telling himself that his father would be pleased for him to leave Horn Hill for good and give up his claim to House Tarly's lands and titles. But his father had refused, saying that maesters were nothing but servants and that no son of his would be a servant. Then he'd forced Sam to join the Night's Watch. _He must have been hoping that I would soon die_. And Sam would not get to become a proper maester like Maester Aemon, he would have to learn about the Others and return to the Wall as quickly as possible. All of those books at the Citadel, but he wouldn't have time to read them. _I hope they have books about the Others_. The Others had supposedly been defeated 8,000 years ago. Were there any books that old? Sam didn't think that there were, not even Valyrian ones—after all, Valyria was said to have been founded only 5,000 years ago. But if the legends were true men had defeated the Others once and perhaps the knowledge had been passed down through the generations and been written down at some point.

Even if the Citadel did have what they needed, the journey there from Castle Black and back would be long and dangerous, especially now that winter had set in. He went to Jon beside himself with fear. Jon was good at making him less afraid. Most of the time. "I'll be in Oldtown, Jon. I'll have to travel all the way to the Reach. What if I meet my father on the way? What if he comes to Oldtown and finds me there? What if he kills me?"

"It's not likely that you'll run into your father," Jon tried to reassure him.

"But what if I do?"

"Sam, you're the only man in the Night's Watch who's slain an Other."

"It was only one Other, Jon. My father has many men under his command. Even just by himself he's a formidable warrior, with a Valyrian greatsword."

"You won't be traveling through your father's lands. And if by chance you do meet him in Oldtown, he's hardly likely to try to kill you with witnesses everywhere."

Then there was Gilly. The Wildlings who'd made it to the Wall were to be resettled on the Gift, but Gilly had a newborn babe and no friends or family to look after her. After he had rescued her from Craster's Keep Sam could not bear for her to die on her own, or to be raped again by some Wildling. Then Sam had an idea. He asked Jon, "Lord Mormont has requested that your brother the king come immediately to Castle Black, hasn't he?"

"Yes," Jon said. "Why?"

"Well, your brother—King Robb—he said he _was_ coming, right?"

"Yes," Jon said. "If the gods are good he should be here soon. Why, do you want to meet him?"

"No—I mean, yes—no, I mean—'' Sam stuttered.

"_What_ do you mean?" Jon asked, getting impatient.

"It's Gilly, Jon," Sam finally blurted out. "She has a newborn babe and no friends or family to help her. I—I couldn't bear for them to die, after we'd saved them from—from, you know—" Sam realized that he'd just revealed his feelings for Gilly. _Jon is my friend. He will understand_.

"I know how much you care about Gilly, Sam," Jon said. "But what is it you want me to do?"

"I want you to ask your brother to take her and her babe back to Winterfell. She can work in the kitchens, maybe, or help clean. She's used to hard work. And when her son is a little older, he can work there, too."

"I will ask Robb when he comes," Jon said. "I don't know whether he'll agree or not. Northmen do not trust Wildlings, and Gilly's circumstances—"

"I know, Jon, I know," Sam said, wondering how he and Jon could convince King Robb to take the children and grandchildren of a daughter-raping Wildling home with him. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," Jon said.

"Just—just one more thing, Jon," Sam said.

"What?" Jon asked, looking slightly apprehensive.

"I'll be praying for Gilly and her babe," he said, realizing all of a sudden that the child had no name. "In the godswood. Will you pray for them as well? Maybe the old gods will listen to you because you're a Northman who's been praying to them your whole life."

"I will be glad to pray for them," Jon gave a slight smile. Sam could not resist himself. He grabbed Jon in a tight hug, and Jon hugged him back, laughing. _We need whatever laughter we can get_.


	23. Chapter 23

**ROBB**

Willem was Robb's squire, Martyn Brienne's, and Elmar Great-Uncle Brynden's. He'd taken his great-uncle aside and explained, "I would have taken Elmar myself, but Willem must serve as my squire because he is heir to the Rock, the Lannisters would be offended otherwise. And I didn't think it fair to inflict Elmar on Brienne. I'm very sorry that you have to take him—"

"Don't be sorry," "Great-Uncle Brynden said, "You made the right decision. Perhaps a grizzled veteran such as I can whip the Frey boy into shape."

"Yes, you should beat him whenever he deserves it. And maybe even when he doesn't." They'd smiled at that.

Robb felt it was an especially bad time for him to have to leave Winterfell. Rickon had started to view him as a father, and had been hysterical when Robb had left, clinging to his leg and screaming and weeping. Ser Rodrik had had to pull him off. _At least Rickon didn't kick anybody._ Robb had told Mother and Ser Rodrik and Maester Luwin that they must be firm with Rickon while he was gone, but he feared that Rickon might regress anyway.

And there was Roslin. They had just been starting to get to know each other, to feel comfortable together, when the urgent raven had arrived. Robb remembered how Father had married Mother the day he first met her and then left the following day to rescue Lyanna from Dorne. _He failed to rescue Lyanna, but he brought back a bastard_. Robb swore to himself that he would never bed any woman but his wife. _That shouldn't be hard, seeing as I'm going to the Wall_. Still, if a man as honorable as Father could make a bastard, did that mean Robb would succumb to lust too? He had prayed to the old gods and the new for the strength to be faithful to his wife. It was not just duty; he had developed real feelings for Roslin. Her quiet and tearful embrace had affected him as much as Rickon's hysterics.

Roslin was also carrying his child. Robb had been conceived on his parents' wedding night and born at Riverrun while Father was away. _I hope I return before my son is born_. Robb and everyone else had been praying to the Mother that the babe would be a son. _I hope I return alive_.

Now he was here at Castle Black, meeting with Lord Commander Mormont and Jon, who was his steward, and a fat boy named Samwell Tarly who was steward to the aged Maester Aemon. Robb of course had heard of Lord Randyll Tarly, one of the greatest commanders in Westeros. _This can't be his son, can it? Surely this fat boy is some distant relation_.

It had been over two years since Robb had last seen his bastard brother. They had both been boys then, and they were both men now. Robb was a king, a husband and soon would be a father, and Jon was steward to the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. Jon had grown a beard, perhaps to make himself look older or maybe just to stay warm. Both he and Robb were several inches taller than they had been when Jon had left for the Wall. Their muscles were bigger too, although Robb's were still bigger than Jon's. Now that Jon had matured he resembled Father more than ever. Robb had always been slightly annoyed that his bastard brother looked like a Stark while Robb, heir to Winterfell, looked like a Tully. _But my name is Stark, and his is Snow_. Robb wondered who Jon's mother could have been, and why Father refused to speak of her. _Now we shall never know. Now _Jon _shall never know_. Most bastards were raised by their mothers and often never even saw their fathers or even knew who they were. Jon, on the other hand, had been raised by his lord father alongside his trueborn siblings while remaining ignorant of who his mother had been, or if she was even still alive. _That must have weighed heavily on him_. Robb questioned whether Father had been right to keep the knowledge of Jon's mother a secret even from Jon himself. _Surely every man deserves to know who his own mother was_. But Robb did not want to think ill of Father, not even a little bit. _I miss him so much. So do Mother, and Bran and Rickon and Sansa and Arya and everyone else at Winterfell._ Robb's sisters had still not forgiven him for their betrothals. _Will they hate me forever_?

The original reason Robb had gone to war with the Lannisters was to rescue Father; Robb had won the war and been crowned king of the the largest kingdom in Westeros, but Father was dead. _I won the war but I lost Father_.

Robb was outraged when Lord Mormont told him of the mutiny and the murder of a host in his own household. "Lord Commander, these men must be punished—"

"I'm sorry, your grace," Mormont cut him off apologetically. "With the Others beyond the Wall we cannot risk going there just to bring some mutineers to justice." Robb knew he was right. _Sometimes the guilty must go unpunished by men. The gods will punish these filthy oathbreakers and murderers_. .

"I wouldn't feel too sorry for Craster," Jon said. "He raped his daughters, and when they bore sons he would sacrifice the babes to the Others. That's why he was able to survive out there."

Robb was horrified. Mormont looked at Jon angrily. "Hold your tongue, Snow. Craster was a friend to the Watch, and the law ends at the Wall." Again, Robb grudgingly acknowledged to himself that Mormont was right; the law _did_ end at the Wall, and the Night's Watch needed whatever friends it could get, especially north of the Wall. _And the murder of a host by his own guests is an abomination, no matter what sort of man he was._

The timid-looking fat boy, who had been silent the whole time, now said, "We h-have one of Craster's babes here, your grace, and his m-mother, Gilly. They c-came with us when we escaped the mutineers, G-Gilly and her boy."

"A woman and her babe at Castle Black?" Robb was even more shocked.

"Sam mentioned it because he thought you could help, your grace," Jon said bluntly. "The mother could serve in the kitchens at Winterfell, and her son could serve as well when he grew old enough."

Two Wildling bastards born of rape and incest? "I can vouch for Gilly, your grace," Jon said. "She's a good girl, and brave as well."

"What if her son grows up to be like his father?" Robb asked. _A raper at Winterfell_? He thought of Roslin and whatever daughters they might have in the future. _I must always protect my family. I lost Father, I won't lose anyone else_.

"I'm sure he won't, your grace," Jon said. "Not at Winterfell, where he is surrounded by good and honorable men and women." Robb sighed.

"Very well. They can stay at Winterfell." If Jon was willing to vouch for the girl Robb was willing to believe that she was of good character, and after all a child gets half of its blood from his mother. _And he will never know the truth of how he was born of rape and incest_. Robb then had an unwelcome thought: _Joffrey was born of incest, as was the Mad King and Maegor the Cruel and Aegon the Unworthy_. But according to Jon the babe's mother was no Cersei Lannister, nor we he be raised by such a woman.

The fat boy smiled with relief. "You won't regret this, your grace," he said, less timorous than before, "I promise that, you won't."

"You can promise me no such thing," Robb said. _I hope I've made the right decision_. Theon Greyjoy had been a friend to him despite being the son of a traitorous ironman. _Winterfell shaped him to be a better man_._ It can shape this wretched babe to become a good man as well_.

"Well, I have another Wildling woman working in the kitchens at Winterfell, Osha is her name. She and her companions tried to kidnap Bran; they were all killed, but I showed her mercy and she's served well." _So far. What if she turns on us_? But she wouldn't, Robb told himself, she had a good life a Winterfell with more food and warmth than she could expect to find anywhere else. _And she was not a bad woman; she was a good woman in a bad situation_.

"That brings me to another topic, your grace," Mormont said. "We are settling the Wildlings who fled the Others on the Gift and the New Gift and sending their warriors to garrison several of the empty castles on the Wall."

"You did this without even consulting me?" Robb was angry now. To give refuge to a desperate Wildling girl and her babe or even a prisoner was one thing, but to allow gods' know how many Wildlings to settle south of the Wall? He had his bannermen and his smallfolk to consider; Wildlings often stole and kidnapped from the North even with the Wall to keep them out.

"We did not need to consult you, your grace," Mormont said. "Both the Gift and the New Gift were granted to the Night's Watch in perpetuity."

"You are right," Robb said grudgingly, "but I want you to make clear to every man, woman and child you let through that if they leave to raid the fiefdoms of my bannermen their lives will be forfeit." _The Greatjon will not be happy about this, and he is my most loyal bannerman and one of my best warriors_. Robb did not relish the task of informing the Greatjon, or any other Northmen, that Wildlings were being settled on the Gift.

"They already know, your grace," Mormont said, "and we have taken 100 boys as hostages, sons of every Wildling man of importance. They will serve the Watch as squires and pages, and some may even choose to take the black when they are of age."

"You will have more warriors," Robb said, "but how does one even fight the Others and their wights?" Until Robb had received the raven from Castle Black, he had always assumed that the Others were gone for good, if they had ever existed in the first place. _After 8,000 years, they have to come back now_. Scarcely was he done defeating the Lannisters when he was called to fight a war against legendary monsters.

"Fire will do for the wights, your grace," the fat boy answered. "They're not so hard to fight, they move slowly and clumsily." _So do you, I have no doubt_..

"What about the Others themselves?" Robb asked.

"So far we've killed only one O-other, your grace," the boy said. "With dragonglass. We don't know if there are any other ways to kill them. I've gone through the library here at Castle Black, and I found very little." _One would think that at a Wall built to keep Others there would at least be a few books about them, and how to fight them_. But if the Others really had risen 8,000 years ago there would have been no one to write of it, because writing hadn't even been invented yet.

"I am sending Tarly to the Citadel to learn whatever he can about the Others and the wights," Mormont said. _He seems far better suited to being a maester than to being a warrior. Why did he go to the Wall instead of the Citadel in the first place_?

"The first time a wight attacked us, it was one of our own men," Jon said. "It knew where to find Lord Mormont's quarters, so we know that wights can remember at least some things from when they were alive." That was certainly not good. _What if another black brother becomes a wight, or one of my men, gods forbid?_

"O-one other thing, your grace," Tarly said. "I found a book that said that the Others can be killed with 'dragon steel.'"

"Valyrian steel?" Robb asked.

"Th-that's what I thought, your grace," Tarly said, "but I'm not sure."

"I have a Valyrian greatsword, Ice," Robb said, frowning. There were precious few other Valyrian blades in Westeros, or anywhere else for that matter.

"I have given Snow my house's Valyrian bastard sword, Longclaw." This impressed Robb. Mormont must think very highly of Jon to do so. _Not many bastards can boast of owning Valyrian swords_. The only ones Robb could think of were Daemon Blackfyre and his great enemy Brynden Rivers. _And Rivers eventually became Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. Jon will probably be Lord Commander one day, too_. At the Wall, being a bastard was no bar to a man.

"Where can we find dragonglass?" Robb asked.

"We found a large cache beyond the Wall, your grace, at the Fist of the First Men, but we didn't realize its importance and we only took a few. Some of the Wildlings have dragonglass blades, but not many. The only other place that we know for sure has dragonglass is Dragonstone."

"Stannis Baratheon's widow and daughter are at Dragonstone, with the remnants of his forces," Robb said. "We must somehow convince Queen Selyse to let us mine the island for dragonglass." Robb's tone was doubtful, as were the expressions on his companions' faces. Selyse Baratheon was known as a proud and prickly woman.

"Which man was it that killed the Other?" Robb asked, moving on to a more certain topic. "I'd like to speak with him."

"I-I am, your grace," Tarly said. Robb tried not to look dumbstruck. "When I st-stabbed it with the dragonglass blade it melted into a puddle. The Other, I mean, not the blade. There's two other things I found out about the Others, your grace. They either come when it's very cold or else their presence makes it very cold. And their blades are so cold that they shatter steel."

"Even Valyrian steel?"

"I-I don't know, your grace. But I will try to find out."

"You must," Robb said firmly. "The very survival of men depends on it." Tarly looked more frightened than ever. _He seems a craven, yet he is the only one so far to have slain an Other. Perhaps he _can _be counted on_.

"Dragonglass is only one of the things we need, your grace," Mormont said. "We also need as much gold and food and as many men as we can get."

"I am sorry I cannot give you gold or food," Robb said, "for the war has depleted much of my treasury and the winter stores of the North and Riverlands." _After 8,000 years, the Others just had to return when half of Westeros has been ravaged by war_.

"What about men?" Jon asked.

Robb sighed. "The war has decimated the forces of the North, the Riverlands and the Westerlands. There will be fewer noble houses with extra sons to send to the Watch, and fewer commoners as well. The Stormlands are in turmoil with Stannis Baratheon dead and his widow desperately trying to hold the Storm Kingdom for their daughter, a girl of eleven. The The King of the Mountain and Vale is a sickly eight-year-old boy with a half-mad mother and a possibly treacherous stepfather as Lord Regent. My great-uncle Ser Brynden Tully served Lord and Lady Arryn for many years; I will send him with some men to the Eyrie to ask for whatever help they can give. If Lord Baelish won't help us, maybe the lords of the Vale will. The Reach has been barely touched by the war; perhaps you can recruit men from there. Dorne has been completely undamaged by the war but the Dornish style of warfare is ill-suited to the Wall, as are Dornishmen used to the Dornish climate. As for the Iron Islands—well, when have the ironborn been of much help to anyone?" _If I sent Theon to the Iron Islands, would he be able to get them to aid the war against the Others?_ Robb decided against it. _Until our naval defenses are greater keeping Theon as a hostage is the only insurance against Balon Greyjoy raiding the coasts_. For that was what his friend was, a hostage, even if the Starks had been polite enough to refrain from calling him that to his face. _What if Balon Greyjoy attacks anyway?_ If that happened Robb would have to cut Theon's head off; everyone knew that. And Robb would have to do the duty himself; Father had said that the man who passes the sentence must swing the sword. _He also said that if the man who had passed the sentence could not look the condemned man in the face and cut his head off, then maybe the condemned man didn't deserve to die_. But if the ironborn attacked Theon would lose his head despite having committed no crime. _Could I look him in the face and then take his life for a crime he was innocent of_? Could he cut off his own friend's head? _Balon Greyjoy will not attack while I hold his only son hostage_. But Balon was an old man and Theon had three living uncles. _Our naval defenses are nowhere near complete_. But if Balon died and one of Theon's uncles usurped the Seastone Chair, Robb would not take Theon's life, as to do so would only do the usurper a favor. 

Mormont looked grim. "We still have our pick of every dungeon in Westeros, but the destruction of King's Landing has robbed us of our largest source of recruits. You've already said that you cannot spare either gold or food. What about the other kings of Westeros?"

"King Kevan of the Rock is a sensible man," Robb said, "He should still have gold to spare even after the war. King Mace of the Reach is a fool, but his daughter Princess Margaery has married my uncle Lord Edmure Tully of Riverrun. Perhaps I can convince him to contribute gold and food; he should have plenty of both. I would not expect much of either from the Vale, the Stomlands or the Iron Islands, for reasons I have already mentioned. Dorne has never produced much food, but Prince Doran is a prudent man, maybe he will give gold."

"Dorne also has limes," Tarly said. "Maester Aemon says that they keep men's gums from bleeding."

"I will ask Prince Doran for as many limes as he can spare," Mormont said.

"With enough gold we could buy food from the Free Cities," Jon said, "and not just that. If we had the gold, we could buy apprentice glassblowers and glaziers from Myr, offer them freedom in return for teaching some of our men their arts, and then build glass gardens like the ones at Winterfell to supply us with fruits and vegetables through the winter."

"That will take a great deal of gold, and some length of time," Robb said. "But perhaps it can be accomplished." Jon had become bold and ambitious since joining the Watch. Or had he always been so? A boy ran into the chamber.

"B-begging your pardons, my lord, your grace," he gasped for breath, "we've had a raven from Eastwatch saying that Aegon and Daenerys Targaryen have arrived with three dragons, offering to help fight the Others!"


	24. Chapter 24

**DAENERYS**

Daenerys was returning to Magister Illyrio's manse with a sense of failure. Her sun-and-stars was gone, as was his khalasar, and she hadn't gained anything in Qarth besides enemies. Well, she had gained Ser Barristan of the Kingsguard. That was the one bright spot.

She had no idea what Illyrio was planning to do. Had he wanted her brother to become king? Then why had he given the dragon eggs to her instead of to Viserys? She knew that she certainly couldn't trust Illyrio, but he was the only rich and powerful ally she had for now.

When the slave took Daenerys, her dragons, her bloodriders, Ser Jorah and Ser Barristan to meet Illyrio she saw four strangers sitting with the monstrously fat magister. One was a woman with long red hair dressed in red silk wearing a ruby at her throat. When Daenerys looked more closely she could see that the woman's eyes were red as well. _Valyrians have purple eyes, but I've never seen anyone with red eyes_. Daenerys also saw a plump, bald man with a simpering smile on his beardless face. There was also a powerful-looking middle-aged man with graying red hair and next to him a youth Daenerys's age with silver-gold hair and, she saw, purple eyes. _Another Targaryen?_ She was shocked, and then Illyrio spoke.

"I pray that you have had a safe voyage, your grace?" He stroked that vile beard of his. _He calls me "your grace." Perhaps he _does_ intend to put me on the Iron Throne_.

"The voyage from Qarth was safe, but not the journey to get there. But no matter."

"Your grace, I must introduce you to these people." He pointed to the red woman; "This is Lady Melisandre of Asshai, priestess of R'hllor, Lord of Light." _Asshai? Quaithe said Asshai was where I needed to go_. As for R'hllor, Daenerys had seen many red temples and red priests and priestesses during her time in the free cities, but she had never paid much attention to them. _What does this red priestess want with me? And why does she have red _eyes?

The plump man, a eunuch surely, was introduced as Varys. The red-haired warrior was Jon Connington of Griffin's Roost, a friend of Prince Rhaegar's and former Hand of King Aerys. _He knew my brother. And my father. _Ser Barristan had told Daenerys that Rhaegar had been a fine man, but he would say little about her father, who Daenerys had learned had been known as the Mad King. _Was he like Viserys_? But Viserys had been kind once, before he was forced to sell their mother's crown. _Or maybe madness does not manifest itself until a certain age_. Daenerys herself was only six-and-ten. _Will I go mad eventually_. No, she promised herself, she would not.

As for the youth—"This is his grace King Aegon VI, son of Prince Rhaegar and and grandson of King Aerys II. Your nephew, your grace."

Before Daenerys could think of how to react, the eunuch Varys said, "I will explain, your grace. I am originally from Myr, but I served as Master of Whispers for many years under your royal father. Magister Illyrio is an old friend of mine. When the Usurper started his war I arranged for your royal nephew, an infant, to be smuggled to the Free Cities. The babe that Tywin Lannister's men murdered was bought from his father for a jug of Arbor gold." Daenerys noted to herself that the eunuch had been perfectly willing to put another defenseless babe in harm's way just to protect the heir to the Iron Throne. _The lives of the smallfolk are worth nothing at all_. She also noted that the eunuch had taken steps to protect Prince Aegon from the Usurper, but not Princess Rhaenys. _A daughter's life is worth less than a son's, even if she is of the blood of the dragon_.

"If you served my royal father, why did you not accompany my brother Viserys and me into exile? When Ser Willem Darry died we were left to fend for ourselves."

"Your grace, the master I serve is the good of the realm. That is why I continued to serve as Master of Whisperers under the Usurper. _Someone_ had to make sure the Seven Kingdoms ran smoothly no matter who sat on the Iron Throne. And with a fool and a drunk on the Iron Throne, well—" he gave a simpering smile—"I could hardly abandon a king like that to his own devices, could I." _Is he telling the truth? _Does_ he serve "the good of the realm?" If not, then who _does_ he truly serve?_ If what Varys said was true he'd saved her nephew Aegon's life, but not Rhaenys's or Elia's or indeed that poor drunk's babe. _And he never did anything to help _me_ all those years my brother and I were living from hand to mouth_. Being the "Beggar King" was what had driven all the joy and kindness out of Viserys. _If he hadn't been forced to sell our mother's crown, would he have become a different man_?

Varys continued, "Lord Connington served King Aerys and Prince Rhaegar loyally, but the king sent him into exile for failing to kill the Usurper at the beginning of the war." Daenerys saw how angry Connington looked when the eunuch said that. "But Lord Connington served your royal nephew as a foster father. His grace learned the arts of war as well as the tongues of both Westeros and Old Valyria, and those of several of the Free Cities as well. He was also instructed in the Faith of the Seven."

"I do not understand," Daenerys said. "Are my nephew and I to be co-rulers of the Seven Kingdoms?" The eunuch sighed.

"Alas no, your grace. The entire city of King's Landing has been destroyed by wildfire, and with it the Iron Throne. The Seven Kingdoms are independent once again."

Daenerys could not believe it. "So I am queen of nothing?" She had hatched the first three dragons born in over a century and traveled halfway round the world and back, all for nothing?

The red priestess, Lady Melisandre, spoke for the first time. "R'hllor did not intend you and your royal nephew to rule Westeros, your grace. He has a far greater task for you and your dragons, to save the world and all mankind from the Great Other and the Endless Night." Before Daenerys could say anything Melisandre continued, "The Others are evil beings of cold and darkness. They are capable of turning any corpse into a wight, a vile creature of the living dead that wars against all light and life. Ordinary fire can destroy wights, who move slowly and clumsily, but the Others are far more dangerous. Their swords are so cold that they shatter ordinary steel; only Valyrian steel can be wielded against them. Valyrian steel will kill an Other, and dragonglass as well, but that is not enough to save mankind from the Endless Night. What is needed, your grace, are dragons." Daenerys remembered that according to Westerosi legend the Others had come and caused the Long Night 8,000 years ago until they had somehow been defeated and the great wall of ice built to keep them out. Daenerys had been unsure as to whether the Others have ever actually existed to begin with, and the last thing she had expected was for them to _return_ after 8,000 years. _How were they defeated back then_? The legends she had heard had never actually said how the Others had been defeated. _It couldn't have been with dragons, there weren't any dragons in Westeros until my ancestor Aegon the Conqueror_.

Illyrio now spoke to Daenerys: "Surely you wondered your grace, why a man as shrewd as I would want to put your half-mad fool and craven of a brother on the Iron Throne? The answer is that I didn't. I have known of the prophecy of the coming of the Great Other and how only dragons and their riders could save the world from the Endless Night. That is why I gave the dragon eggs to you, not your brother, for I sensed your hidden strength that was waiting to be proven." _Was _that_ why you gave me the eggs and not Viserys_? Daenerys had wondered at the time why Illyrio would give the priceless dragon eggs to her rather than her brother, as Viserys was the rightful Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and she was just a maid that they had sold to the great khal in exchange for gold and power.

Melisandre said, "Two prophecies concern you and your dragons, your grace, and your royal nephew as well. The first is the prophecy of Azor Ahai, the great hero who defeated the Others 8,000 years ago and wielded the flaming sword Lightbringer. I had thought that Stannis Baratheon was he—"

"_What_?" Daenerys was shocked. The red woman had been working with the Usurper? How could she possibly be trusted?

"—But I was wrong, your grace. There was another prophecy as well. A Child of the Forest, one of the few to survive, told your royal grandfather Jaehaerys II that the prince that was promised, the savior, would be born of the line of his son Aerys and his daughter Rhaella. Your father and mother, your grace."

"She speaks the truth, your grace," Ser Barristan said. "While serving your royal grandfather I learned of this same prophecy myself." Daenerys didn't know if she could trust Melisandre, but she knew that she could trust Ser Barristan.

"So _I_ am the prince that was promised?" Daenerys asked. She'd always been told that the Children of the Forest, who'd lived in Westeros long before the arrival of the First Men, had all died out or gone permanently into hiding. She'd certainly never heard of anyone in living memoriy having _seen_ one. _If the Others still exist, and dragons have returned, perhaps the Children are still out there hiding_? The Children were said to have magical powers. If they were still out there, could they help defeat the Others? _They couldn't defeat the Andals_.

"You are _one _of the princes who were promised, your grace," Melisandre said. "There must be three, one rider for each dragon." Daenerys remembered her brother Rhaegar in the House of the Undying saying,

"There must be one more…The dragon has three heads."

"Your royal nephew King Aegon is the second prince and dragon-rider," Melisandre said.

Daenerys suddenly remembered something terrible. "Was my niece Rhaenys the third?" If she was, and she was dead, then who would ride the third dragon?

Melisandre sighed. "When I look into my fires, your grace, all I see is snow falling on a wolf with the wings of a dragon that breathes fire."

Ser Jorah exclaimed, "That's it! The sigil of House Stark is a direwolf! Prince Rhaegar and Lyanna Stark had a child, and he is the third prince!"

Everyone looked at Ser Jorah in astonishment. "That makes sense," Daenerys said, amazed at how he had solved the puzzle. "But where are we to find him?" _So I have another nephew I didn't even know existed_. It seemed that she was not the last Targaryen after all.

"My fires show the wolf-dragon at the great Wall of Ice that Brandon the Builder, founder of House Stark, built to protect the realms of men from the Others," Melisandre said. "If we are to fight the Others, we must go there anyway."

Daenerys still didn't understand everything. "Why must it be my royal nephew and this wolf-dragon and I who ride the dragons?" she asked Melisandre. "With all your learning, couldn't _you_ ride a dragon?"

"I could not, your grace," Melisandre answered. "Only those with the blood of the dragonlords of Old Valyria can ride dragons. That is why the words of House Targaryen are 'Fire and Blood.' It is why the Targaryens and the other dragonlords of Old Valyria married brother to sister, to prevent the blood of the dragon from being diluted." _Yes_, Daenerys thought, _yes, it all makes sense now_. _Fire and blood_.

Illyrio then said, "I will arrange for some ships to transport your graces, the Lady Melisandre, your dragons and those in your service across the Narrow Sea to the Wall castle Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. I will also include plenty of livestock to feed the dragons."

Daenerys turned to her loyal followers. "Ser Jorah, Ser Barristan, my bloodriders—you must all come with me to the Wall." All of them nodded except for Ser Jorah, who turned pale.

"I cannot, your grace. I am a wanted man in Westeros, under sentence of death."

"The laws of Westeros end at the Wall," Varys pointed out.

Ser Jorah looked even more discomfited. "Your grace, my lord father, Jeor Mormont, is Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. After my crime and shame and exile I could not bear to face him." Daenerys was shocked. Her brave Ser Jorah, too afraid and ashamed to face his own father?

"You will come with me to the Wall anyway," Daenerys said. "As your queen I command you. I need you there with me." Ser Jorah sighed.

"I cannot refuse an order from my queen. I will join you."


	25. Chapter 25

**JON**

Lord Mormont had sent Sam to Oldtown and Jon to Eastwatch to meet the Targaryens and their dragons. King Robb, Ser Brynden, Lady Brienne and Prince Theon were accompanying them, along with their squires, with Ser Brynden and Lady Brienne planning to sail to Maidenpool and travel from there to the Gates of the Moon. Jon now had a page of his own, Tormund Giantsbane's nine-year-old son Dryn.

Except for the Magnars of Thenn, the Wildlings had no hereditary kings or lords, but Tormund was one of the handful of men that most of them seemed willing to follow. Jon could see why. He was one of their most formidable warriors and was said to have slain at least two giants, and he was known to keep his word. _And he loves his children_. That had been obvious enough as Tormund had handed over Dryn. Jon therefore felt reasonably certain that Tormund would keep peace with both the Night's Watch and the Kingdom of the North. And as he was the sort of man that other men follow, the rest of the Wildlings probably would as well.

The Wildlings took great pride in having no hereditary kings or lords, saying a man must prove himself a leader before the free folk would follow him. _Perhaps they have a point_. South of the Wall kingdoms and lordships were often inherited by children, fools, lunatics and monsters. _Aerys Targaryen _was_ the rightful king, and Maegor the Cruel and Aegon the Unworthy before him_. _Until he was overthrown, and Robert Baratheon become rightful king by virtue of having a Targaryen grandmother. _It was deeply ironic that King Robert's claim to the Iron Throne came from being related to the Targaryens he so despised and whose reign he had overthrown. Robert hadn't looked like a very good king when Jon had seen him at Winterfell, and apparently had been completely unaware that all of his wife'children had been fathered not by him but by her own twin brother. _But he had a Targaryen grandmother, so he was the rightful king._

Now it turned out that the last two Targaryens had returned to Westeros with the first dragons born in over a century, if the man and woman who had come with the dragons were who they claimed they were_. They claim to be the Mad King's daughter and grandson_. Did either of them carry the Targaryen taint? Jon prayed that they did not. One, let alone two mad dragonlords would be almost as dangerous as the Others. _If they were mad, they would not have come to aid us_.

Jon could scarcely believe that he would get to see not one dragon but three. _There are three dragons, but only two Targaryens_. Who, if anyone, would ride the third dragon? _A riderless dragon is a dangerous thing_.

Aerys II may have been the rightful king, but the Targaryens had ruled the Seven Kingdoms for less than three centuries when they were overthrown. _The Starks ruled the North for 8,000 years_. But they hadn't ruled all of the North; they'd fought the Boltons for centuries and only finally subjugated them 1,000 years ago. And ultimately Stark rule derived from the same source as Targaryen rule: conquest. _All lords and kings derive their rights from being descended from conquerors or friends of conequerors_. But not the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch; he was elected by his own sworn brothers. _Thieves, rapers and murderers can decide who will rule them, but not honest smallfolk south of the Wall._ Sam had told him that Mormont was grooming Jon to be his heir. Mormont was seventy now; when he died _would_ Jon's brothers elect him Lord Commander? _I will worry about that when it happens_.

Dryn had shown no emotion when his father had handed him over to the Night's Watch as a hostage. Could he or any of the other Wildling hostages be trusted? Jon thought about Theon Greyjoy, who was accompanying Robb to Eastwatch. Robb had always liked him for some mystifying reason, and the feeling seemed to be mutual. It was Theon instead of Jon who had fought beside Robb during the War of the Four Kings, even though Jon was Robb's brother and Theon was his hostage. But while Theon might be a hostage, he was also the trueborn son and heir of a Great House while Jon was a bastard who didn't even know who his mother was. _I was a sworn brother of the Night's Watch when Joffrey cut Father's head off, not a Stark. I was never a Stark and I never will be one_. He'd finally made peace with that fact after all those years.

Balon Greyjoy had declared the Iron Islands independent and himself a king. _When Balon Greyjoy dies, will Theon return to Pyke to become a king like Robb?_ _He _is _his father's rightful heir, after all_. But would Robb _let_ him return to Pyke? They'd have no guarantee against ironborn attacks, then. But if Theon didn't succeed his father on the Seastone Chair then one of his uncles would and Robb would have no guarantee against ironborn attacks either. Even if Theon didn't want to attack Robb's kingdom, would the lords of the Iron Islands obey his commands, rightful king though he might be? _Kings can be overthrown. My father helped overthrow one himself_.

Dryn did not seem much like Theon, though. While Theon was boastful and cocky and always smiling at the wrong things, Dryn talked little and smiled less. Father had never treated Theon quite like a son, even a bastard son, because he knew that one day he might have to cut young Greyjoy's head off. Would there come a day when Jon had to cut Dryn's head off? Jon didn't think it likely. Tormund Giantsbane seemed to love his son, even though he had others to spare, and he seemed a man of his word. But what if Jon's judgment of his character was wrong? _Then I'll do my duty just as Father would have_. Deplorable though it might be to kill a child or even a young man for his father's crimes, it might be necessary to protect more lives. _But Tormund will keep his word. I know he will_.

Jon had not seen his trueborn brother for over two years. Lord Eddard Stark's two eldest sons rode together for a while so that they could talk privately. "I see that Lord Commander Mormont thinks very highly of you," Robb said.

"Damn it, Robb," Jon laughed, "If I agree then I sound like a braggart, if I disagree I insult myself. Why did you have to put me on the spot like that?" Robb smiled back at him. "How is everyone at Winterfell?"

"Bran is doing well," Robb said. "Rickon and Shaggydog had grown rather wild since Mother and I left, but they've improved somewhat since we returned. Hopefully they won't regress in my absence." _Rickon was only three when Father and I both left Winterfell_._ He will grow up barely remembering us_. No, Jon would visit Winterfell as soon and as often as possible, just like Uncle Benjen had. _When all of this is done I will get to see Arya and Bran and Rickon_. He had missed them so much.

"How are the girls?" Robb looked uncomfortable.

"Sansa is betrothed to Prince Willem, and Arya to Elmar Frey."

"_What?_" Jon was appalled. Arya would have to marry that awful boy and bed him and bear his children? Robb sighed again.

"When the war with the Lannisters started, Lord Walder Frey of the Twins, one of the most powerful riverlords, would only agree to let us cross the Green Fork and to join his forces to ours if I would marry one of his daughters and Arya would marry his youngest son Elmar. We had no choice."

_Arya is no longer my sister_, Jon told himself, _she is a princess of Winterfell, and I am a sworn brother of the Night's Watch_. But he still loved Arya and was horrified at the fate in store for her.

"Arya practices swords every day," Robb said. "She always beats Elmar, and sometimes Prince Willem as well. So all is not lost." _An unconsummated marriage can be set aside_.

"How is your queen?" Jon asked. _Is she like her brother Elmar?_

"Roslin is a good and dutiful wife," Robb said. "She is carrying my child. I hope I will return to Winterfell before he is born, but I fear not." _I will soon be an uncle_. When Jon visited Winterfell, he would get to see his new nephew. _I will be an uncle to Robb's children, like Uncle Benjen was to us_.

"Is she comely?" Jon could not help asking. Robb smiled.

"Yes. She is small and delicate with wavy chestnut hair and brown eyes." _I wonder who Robb's son will resemble, Robb or Queen Roslin_? Robb and all of Jon's other trueborn siblings except Arya looked like Tullys, not Starks. _The only one of Lord Eddard Stark's sons who looks like a Stark is the only one who isn't one_. Would Robb's children take after him in appearance and character or after this new queen whom Jon had never laid eyes on? _I may have a goodsister and nephews and nieces, but I'll hever have a wife or children_. Jon remembered what Mormont has said to him:

"They will garb your brother Robb in silks, satins and velvets of a hundred colors, while you will live and die in black ringmail. He will wed some beautiful princess and father sons on her. You'll have no wife, nor will you ever hold a child of your own blood in your arms. Robb will rule, you will serve. Men will call you a crow. Him they'll call _Your Grace_. Singers will praise every little thing that he does, while your greatest deeds go unsung. Tell me that none of this troubles you, Jon… and I'll name you a liar, and know I have the truth." Jon also remembered what he had answered: that, bastard that he was, he would be troubled, and keep his vows. But with Robb here with him telling him of his pretty wife and the son she was carrying, the trouble felt far more acute than Jon could remember it ever having been before. _I will never lie with a woman, or even kiss one_. He wondered what he was missing, and then remembered something else: _Bran is a trueborn prince, yet he is a cripple and so will never lie with a woman either, or even walk_.

Jon then thought again about his trueborn, kingly brother, and his lovely new queen, and all the lovemaking they would do and sons they would have. Had he, Jon, made the wrong choice in taking the black? _I could have stayed at Winterfell, and entered Robb's service like many trueborn younger brothers do. I could have fallen in love with a common girl, and married and had children with her_. But it would not just be Robb and the rest of his trueborn siblings at Winterfell; there would also be Lady Catelyn Stark._ It should have been you, bastard_. No, the Night's Watch was where he belonged.


	26. Chapter 26

**ARYA**

"We have to go home," Meera said apologetically.

"What?" Arya couldn't understand.

"We came here to pledge our fealty to King Robb," Jojen explained, "but the war is won, and we must return to Greywater Watch before winter truly sets in."

"But why do you have to go back to Greywater Watch?" Arya asked, "why can't you stay here as Robb's wards? You'd learn so much more here than at Greywater Watch, swordfighting, horse-riding, books—"

"Crannogmen have no use for such things," Jojen said. "If we learned your ways they would only make us less suited to life at the Neck."

"Well, who says you have to live as crannogmen at the Neck?" Arya asked. "You could stay at Winterfell as our wards and enter Robb's service."

Much to Arya's dismay Jojen shook his head. "I am heir to Greywater Watch. I must keep the ways of my people if I am to become the next lord of Greywater Watch."

"Then why can't Meera stay here?"

"I belong with my own people, and with Jojen and my lord father," Meera said. "I can only serve his grace your brother as a crannogwoman, at the Neck. I would have no place here."

Arya felt stricken. Everyone else she had liked at Winterfell—Great-Uncle Brynden, Brienne, Ser Rodrik, even Prince Martyn—had left with Robb and probably would not return for a long time. And now Jojen and Meera were leaving too. That left her with no one to play with except poor crippled Bran and Rickon the baby. And she had liked talking to both Jojen and Meera. She could trust them, tell them what was on her mind, and they often had good advice, especially Jojen. She loved her brother Bran, but he was too young to be much use as a confidante. He could not help her with anything.

Ser Rodrik was with Robb, so Arya could not train with him. She spent much of her time practicing the water-dancing exercises Syrio had taught her such as catching cats and standing on one foot at the top of the stairs for as long as she could. She was getting better, but she could never master water-dancing without a proper water-dancer to finish her training with. Arya hoped to someday go to Braavos to study and become the greatest water-dancer of all time. Braavos was said to be a fascinating place, a city of canals full of strange religions and exotic wonders from all over the world. But Arya had no gold or silver to pay for a passage to Braavos, much less to live there on her own.

Arya had never been particularly studious before, but now she had devoted herself to learning High Valyrian with Maester Luwin. Valyrian was said to be the language of magic and of many rare books and scrolls of arcane knowledge. Arya wondered if the Valyrians had been wargs, but nothing she read mentioned that. _Most of the lore of Valyria was lost, though, in the Doom. Maybe the Valyrians _were _wargs, and that's how they controlled their dragons_. Arya wondered if she or Bran would be able to skinchange into a dragon, and then remembered that dragons were extinct. _There are still some dragon eggs, though, Maester Luwin said so_. But no one knew how to hatch the eggs, though many had tried, including the Targaryens. _Maybe one day_ I'll_ hatch a dragon egg, and ride a dragon into battle_.

Elmar was gone for now, but unless he died at the Wall he would come back eventually with Robb and she would have to marry him. She thought for a moment whether she should pray in the godswood for him to die there so that she wouldn't have to marry him. No, she decided; the last time she had prayed for people to die all of King's Landing had perished, some half a million souls. And if for whatever reason Elmar _did_ die Arya would just have to marry one of his brothers.

Her goodsister Roslin was carrying Robb's child. Everyone was praying for the babe to be a boy so that Robb would have an heir. Arya knew that in Dorne titles passed to the eldest child regardless of sex; indeed, the current heir to Sunspear was a woman, Princess Arianne, because although she had two brothers she was the eldest. The Valyrians of old had practiced the same custom, if Arya remembered correctly, which is why King Viserys I had wanted his daughter Princess Rhaenyra to succeed him on the Iron Throne. The civil war between Rhaenyra and her younger half-brother Aegon, known as the Dance of the Dragons, had almost killed off all of House Targaryen and all of their dragons as well. _If the Valyrians and the Rhoynar allowed women to inherit equally, why didn't the First Men and the Andals?_

In the end both Aegon II and Rhaenyra were dead and Rhaenyra's son Aegon III ended up on the Iron Throne. The Targaryen dynasty had never fully recovered; they survived less than two centuries longer. _If Rhaenyra and Aegon hadn't fought each other, would the Targaryens still be on the Iron Throne? Would there still be _dragons? Perhaps; or maybe the Targaryens and their dragons would have been destroyed some other way. The recent War of the Four Kings had destroyed the Iron Throne altogether. _But the Starks have lasted for 8,000 years_. Clearly wolves were tougher than dragons or lions or stags or anyone else. _If the first Stark,_ _Brandon the Builder, could defeat the Others, then Jon and Robb can defeat them as well_. She was still angry at Robb for betrothing her to Elmar, but she still prayed for him to come home safely, as she knew that if he died the whole Kingdom of the North and the Trident would be in trouble. And she prayed that Jon would come visit Winterfell as soon as the Others were defeated. She missed him so much.

Arya thought that she might commiserate with Sansa about their unwanted betrothals. Sansa had hardly said anything to Arya since she returned to Winterfell, but at least they weren't fighting all the time like they used to. _Maybe it's because she knows now that I was right about Joffrey_. Arya told herself that she wouldn't remind Sansa that she, Arya, had seen through Joffrey right from the beginning. _She knows anyway, and pointing it out to her will just make her feel bad and get angry at me_. Arya used to love provoking her prissy sister, but Sansa had already suffered so much, and always looked so unhappy, that Arya actually decided that she should at least try to be kind to her. Maybe they could cheer each other up.

She knocked on the door of Sansa's bedchamber. Sansa spent much of her time in her bedchamber alone, avoiding everyone. "What do you want?" came her voice from inside, sullen and rude. The old Sansa had prided herself on her excellent manners, but now she didn't bother with even the most basic courtesies. _Now _I'm _the courteous one_. Arya had taken it upon herself to improve her own courtesies since Robb and Mother had returned to Winterfell, as it made them more likely to let her have what she wanted.

"May I come in?" Arya asked in her politest voice, remembering to say "may" instead of "can."

"If you must."

Arya entered her sister's bedchamber and saw Sansa on her bed reading a book. Now that she shunned the company of others Sansa's only leisure activities were reading and needlework. _At least I have sword-training to keep me busy_. She puzzled on how to begin, and then said in a cheerful voice, "I'd rather marry Willem than Elmar."

Sansa sat up and glared at her. _Perhaps I shouldn't have said that_. "You'd prefer to marry a _Lannister_?"

"Yes, actually, if he were Willem or Martyn. Not all Lannisters are bad. Willem and Martyn are certainly much better than Elmar."

"What do you mean, 'not all Lannisters are bad?' Can you name a single _good_ Lannister? Joffrey was a Lannister on both sides, and he was a monster. A monster who was good at _pretending_ to be good. What makes you think Willem is any different?"

_I never thought Joffrey was good_, Arya thought to herself. But she knew that if she said that out loud Sansa would only get angry at her. "Tommen and Myrcella weren't bad," she said, "and they were Joffrey's brother and sister. So what makes you think Joffrey's _cousin_ must be just like him?"

"What do _you _know?" Sansa said angrily.

Arya decided to come to the point, even if her sister didn't want to hear it. "I hated Joffrey from the moment I laid eyes on him, and his mother, too. I don't think either Willem or Martyn are like them."

Sansa just looked angrier. "Back to your original question, I _would_ prefer to be betrothed to that Frey boy rather than to a Lannister. When you marry him you can stay at Winterfell and cut his cock off if he tries to bed you and Robb will probably let you get away with it because he doesn't like Elmar either. Whereas when _I_ marry I must go live at Casterly Rock, a lion's den of Lannisters, and I'll have to bed Willem and bear _more_ Lannisters."

"Why couldn't you cut Willem's cock off if he tries to bed you against your will?"

"Willem's the crown prince of the Rock, stupid, not the twenty-second son of one of Robb's bannermen who lives hundreds of leagues from Winterfell. If I cut off his cock, he'll cut off my head."

Arya decided at that point that trying to talk to her sister about their betrothals was only making Sansa angry at _her_, and it certainly wasn't making Arya feel any better. "I still think Willem is better than Elmar," she said, than exited Sansa's bedchamber. _So much for sisterhood_.

Arya was also spending much of her free time practicing the skinchanging that Jojen had taught her. For now she stuck to dogs, as those were the safest animals for a skinchanger, and Arya, after all, was still just a beginner. Being a dog was not as good as being a direwolf; but how thrilling it was to have a dog's senses of smell and hearing! Arya was learning to distinguish both men and beasts by their scents, and to hear sounds that humans could not. She still dreamt that she was Nymeria sometimes. She was trying to control Nymeria's mind, but a direwolf is far more difficult to master than a dog. Arya wondered if she and Nymeria would ever be reunited. If they weren't, how long would Nymeria be able to live in the wild? Arya wasn't sure how long direwolves usually lived, but dogs' lives were much shorter than men's, and wolves in the wild probably had even shorter lives than dogs. When Nymeria died, would Arya experience it in her dreams? If she did, would she die as her direwolf had, or lose her mind? Those were terrifying thoughts. All the more reason to master skinchanging into dogs as soon as possible.

If Arya and Nymeria were never reunited, would the gods grant Arya another direwolf? Would they grant Sansa one? The day her brothers had found the direwolves with Father she remembered someone saying that direwolves had been extinct south of the Wall for 200 years. But if there had been one direwolf and her pups south of the Wall, couldn't there be more? Direwolves were said to be deadly to men, but Arya was a Stark, a warg. _Perhaps the gods will see fit to grant me another direwolf pup some day. They might even give _Sansa_ one, too_. Arya decided that she would pray in the godswood every day for a new direwolf, and because she was feeling generous, and because she knew that Sansa needed a friend, she prayed that Sansa would get one as well.


	27. Chapter 27

**CATELYN**

Catelyn worried all of the time about Robb and about Petyr and Lysa and little Robert, but at least Winterfell was fairly quiet. Since neither of her daughters wanted anything to do with her, Catelyn had plenty of time to devote to Bran, Rickon and Roslin. Rickon was not as well-behaved as he had been just before Robb left, but he was still better than he had been when Catelyn had returned to Winterfell. He was learning to ride his pony and would begin training with a wooden sword as soon as Ser Rodrik returned. Arya was no longer interested in making mischief but was remarkably disciplined and focused in her sword-fighting and horse-riding practice and in her lessons with Maester Luwin. Sansa still sulked and avoided everyone and Roslin anxiously awaited Robb's return and the birth of her first child. _At least I still have my sweet, gentle Bran_. She had told Bran to make sure that he and Summer played with Rickon and Shaggydog at least once a day, and dutiful son that he was he had obeyed, which helped keep Rickon and Shaggydog reasonably manageable.

Much to Catelyn's astonishment Ser Rodrik had returned to Winterfell from the Wall and had brought with him a frightened-looking girl and her babe. _Who could they possibly be?_ An awful thought struck her: _is that Robb's bastard_? But of course it could not be; the child must have been conceived months before Robb ever left for the Wall. An even worse thought then occurred to Catelyn: _is that Jon Snow's bastard, Seven save us all_?

"My lady," Ser Rodrik said, "may I speak to you privately?"

"Of course."

Once they were alone together Ser Rodrik gave her a letter which he said was from Robb. Catelyn read it and her eyes grew wide. She said to Ser Rodrik "Do you mean to tell me that his grace has sent us two Wildling bastards born of rape and incest? Bastards are treacherous to begin with, and Wildlings are savage to begin with, but the children and grandchildren of a daughter-raping Wildling? What possessed his grace to send this babe here?"

Ser Rodrik sighed. "Mercy, my lady, and kindness, and compassion. His grace has those qualities in abundance."

Catelyn's fears were not assuaged. "What if this boy grows up to be like his father? Will I have a raper running around Winterfell?"

"My lady, if this babe grows up surrounded by decent and honorable men and women, it is almost certain that he will grow to be decent and honorable himself. The mother is used to hard work; she can work as a kitchen maid, and her son can become a scullion or stableboy when he is older."

"His grace made this decision without even consulting me," Catelyn said angrily.

"That is his right as lord of Winterfell." _Of course it is_. Catelyn knew that she could not disobey the king's command. All that she could do was hope that Robb was right. That and she could have one of the servants keep an eye on the Wildling bastard and his mother. She breathed hard through her nostrils. Then Ser Rodrik spoke again:

"My lady, I have another letter for you from his grace." _What now_? She read it and her eyes widened even more than they had before.

"The Night's Watch is letting the Wildlings through the _Wall_? The Wall is meant to keep them _out_!"

"The Wall is meant to keep out the Others, my lady. To defend the realms of men and Wildlings are, after all, merely men and women like you and I."

"They're not like you and I, they're savages!"

"The same blood, the blood of the First Men, runs through the veins of Wildlings and Starks alike. They are only being settled on the Gift and the New Gift, which were both given to the Night's Watch in perpetuity."

"And what if they leave to go raiding on my son's kingdom?"

"They know that if they do that their lives will be forfeit, my lady. And the Night's Watch took 100 boys from every important Wildling man to serve as hostages." _That worked with Balon Greyjoy. So far_.

"Enough about Wildlings," Catelyn said. "What about the Others?"

"Word came from Eastwatch that Aegon and Daenerys Targaryen have arrived with three dragons to defeat the Others. His grace is traveling there with the Lannister princes, Ser Brynden, Lady Brienne, Elmar Frey, Lord Mormont and Jon Snow"

All the other revelations paled before this. "The last dragon died over 100 years ago!"

"There were still some dragon eggs, my lady. Aegon and Daenerys Targaryen must have hatched three of them."

That made even less sense. "_Aegon_ Targaryen? Prince Rhaegar's son? Gregor Clegane dashed his head when he was but a babe!"

Ser Rodrik sighed. "I don't know any more than you, my lady, but a letter came from Cotter Pyke, commander of Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, and it said that Aegon and Daenerys Targaryen had come with three dragons to fight the Others." Catelyn was reeling. Dragons were too much to think about, though Catelyn noted that there were three dragons and only two Targaryens.

"Enough, Ser Rodrik," she said. "There's nothing we can do here at Winterfell besides maintain our defenses. Will fire kill the Others?"

"Ordinary fire can kill wights, my lady, but the Others must be killed by either dragonglass or dragonfire. It might be that Valyrian steel will slay them as well, but we don't know for sure. Lord Commander Mormont has sent a steward to Oldtown to learn all he could of the Others."

"We had better gather up whatever dragonglass we can find in the castle, then," Catelyn said. _We have no other way of defending against the Others if the Wall and the dragons fail_. "Now please excuse me, Ser Rodrik. It has been an eventful day."

"Begging your pardon, my lady, but there is still the Wildling girl and her babe."

_Seven save us all_. "Yes, of course. I had all but forgotten, with all the other news. Send them to me."

The wretched girl arrived with her babe at her breast. Catelyn used her sternest and most commanding voice, the voice of Lady Stark of Winterfell. "As you know, his grace King Robb, in his mercy and compassion, has granted sanctuary here at Winterfell to you and your babe."

"Yes—" the girl started to say, but Catelyn cut her off:

"Do not ever interrupt me. His grace and I are glad to have you at Winterfell—" that wasn't entirely true—"but you must know that now that you have crossed the Wall, you are no longer a Wildling but a subject of his grace. That means that you and your son must obey all of his grace's laws. That means no lying, no stealing and no fighting. You are to obey all of his grace's commands, and mine and Ser Rodrik's as well. While you work in the kitchens you are to obey the cook. If any of this poses a problem, come to Ser Rodrik. Do you understand?" Catelyn wondered if she had been too harsh in speaking to the girl, but decided that with a Wildling one must be firm.

"I understand," the girl said in that frightened tone.

"I understand, _my lady_." The girl and her son must learn proper courtesies and deference if they were to be civilized.

"I understand, my lady," the girl said. "Only—what am I to tell everyone about how I came here?"

Catelyn had almost forgotten about that, but she remembered what Robb's letter had said. "You are to tell everyone, including your son, that your husband died on the journey to the Wall. No one is to know the truth except his grace, Ser Rodrik and I." Catelyn was about to dismiss the girl to the kitchens before she remembered one last thing. "What is your son's name?"

"He has no name, my lady. We Free Folk do not name children until they are two years old, because so many die before that." _Gods have mercy_. Catelyn softened her tone ever so slightly and told the girl,

"Well, you're not a Wildling anymore; you're a subject of his grace, so you must give your son a name." The girl looked even more frightened than before.

"But-but what if he dies, my lady?"

"We will do everything we can to make sure that he lives. Maester Luwin can treat him when he is ill; he is both wise and learned. But your son must have a name."

The girl thought for a minute and then said, "Samwell. His name is Samwell." _Samwell?_ _That doesn't sound like a Wildling name_. Catelyn wondered who Samwell could be, but decided not to ask. "Very well, Samwell it is. I will send for someone to escort you to the kitchens. Remember everything I have told you."

The girl—_Gilly, her name is Gilly_—nodded with a combination of nervousness and relief and said, "I will, my lady. Thank you for everything, and thank his grace as well."

"You're welcome," Catelyn said, and then called for a servant. _Let's hope that Robb is right_.


End file.
